Code Lyoko: A Retelling
by G-Force 4
Summary: A novelisation of all the episodes of first season of Code Lyoko with added twist and turns as new scenes, characters and entire episodes are added to shake things up.
1. Episode 1 Teddygodzilla

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own Code Lyoko…I'm just another fan in the swarm of millions that enjoy watching the show. So please, do not take this fic as an insult to the series but rather a testament to its greatness as it inspired me to undergo this project.

**Notes about the Fic:**

The stories that I'm planning to write are unique to, well at least in my eyes. The series that I'm writing is not completely new, rather a retelling of the events of the first season of Code Lyoko with some changes made by me. Although I do rely heavily on the material that the episodes have presented so far, I do not intend for my stories to be simple carbon copies of the original. This is an experiment for me since I am a greenhorn in the realm of fan fiction and as a means of testing my own writing abilities. Although feedback is most welcomed, I will try to update the story as how I see fit despite banter provided by the usual flamers. However, your intention today is to enjoy a well-written story not to have your ear chewed off by some no-named wannabe writer. With that said, on with the show.

* * *

Episode 1: Teddygodzilla 

If you were to ask any random pedestrian walking the streets today and asked them to comment on the day you would receive a variety of answers. However, despite the broad spectrum of replies one thing was certain. It was just another regular Friday morning. Now ask that same question to the students of Kadic Junior High and you would receive and entirely new set of answers varying in degrees of excitement. To the students of this particular boarding school, this was not just any Friday morning, for it contained on of the most important events the school year, the annual Kadic Junior High School Prom to be exact. In the eyes of an outsider, one would disregard the social significance of this particular event, simply dismissing it as another over hyped school dance. However, because the school schedule emphasized studies over recreation, whenever the students got a break from regular classes, it was most appreciated.

With that said, it is of no surprise to see that the campus's atmosphere contained feelings of jubilee and fanfare as students waited anxiously for the upcoming event. Conversations were no longer about the latest movies, gossip and homework assignments. Instead they were focused on upcoming plans for the evening and trying to find last minute dates for the occasion. For a special group of students, the excitement for them was too unbearable and they had decided to help set up the gym for the occasion making good use of their pent up energy and idle hands.

Junior newscasters Milly and Tamiya took it upon themselves to document the events firsthand, to them the prom was more than worthy for the front page and it was their duty to uncover every single minute of the occasion. From the morning of set up to the last dance, no stone would be left unturned as the girls were determined to capture the significance of the occasion. The two reporters entered the auditorium and bore witness to the progress at hand. Although there were a number of students who decided to shun away their duties and only volunteered to help just for the benefit of missing class, there was a small few who were actually working.

"Whoa, Einstein! You gotta be careful with that," exclaimed Odd as he saw Jérémie struggling with a few boxes that were holding some very expensive electrical equipment.

"So tell me again why I'm doing this, instead of working on my latest computer program?" Asked a puzzled Jérémie, who began to regret accepting Odd's invitation.

"Oh come on, a little fresh air and exercise won't hurt anyone," Ulrich stated, trying his best not to sound like his P.E. instructor Jim.

"Hey you two," Yumi butted in. "I don't think standing around and talking like that is going to help us set up this dance for tonight."

The three boys quickly ended their conversation and resumed their work and were totally ignorant of Tamiya and Millie's presence. Taking a quick glance around the large room, the girls wasted no time in setting up. In one fluid motion Tamiya opened her bag, pulled out her camera, removed the lens cap and began centering Milly within her shot. Milly on her part began to rehearse her lines and made some metal last minute adjustments to them. Tamiya then pressed the record button and flashed the thumbs up signal showing that she was ready for Millie's report.

"Junior reporters Milly and Tamiya here, coming to you live from the Kadic Junior High Auditorium," said Milly. Her voice was laced with a mixture of childhood excitement and professional calm as she tried her best to capture the euphoric buzz that has swept the campus all in one passionate newscast.

"With the school prom just hours away the entire student body waits in anticipation for the memorable evening. Although we are forbidden to show you any footage beyond this point we will bring you any breaking updates for the upcoming dance."

Despite Millie's rapid-fire commentary, Tamiya was able to keep her within the shot and was able to catch a glimpse of some of the students working. As she swept the camera across the room Sissi, Herb and Nicholas entered the shot followed by Milly who quickly approached Sissi for an interview.

"Sissi, do you have any thoughts on tonight as you attempt to be crowned prom queen for the second year in a row?"

Unfortunately for Milly, she did not get the answer she was hoping for, or any answer in fact. Sissi simply walked by with her head turned away in disgust. Whatever Sissi's response lacked, Herb made up for it in tenfold. He walked over to Tamiya's camera and placed the palm of his hand over the lens thus officially ending the newscast much to the girls' dismay.

* * *

Admits the confusion caused by Herb and the frantic work done inside. A lone figure watched the entire fiasco with a look of deep concern and slight anger in his eyes. Pressing the stop button on his CD player, he shifted his entire focus toward the conversation. The individual had no intention of moving and simply stood in the shadow of the doorway that concealed his presence with the sole intention of watching the ordeal that was unfolding before him.

* * *

A worried Tamiya began to inspect her camera for any signs of damage caused by Herb's palm and began to ever-so-gently clean the marks made on the lens. Milly took a more direct approach and confronted Sissi's group with an angry look. 

"Why on Earth did you do that?! You have no right to just disrupt our report!"

"Awww is the little baby gonna have a temper tantrum?" Sissi replied in a childish tone of voice, making fun at the fact that the girls were younger than she was. "I don't have any time to waste on youngsters like you. I have more important things to do than to help two little babies pretend that their big important news people."

"Hey, just because you're bigger and older does not mean you can just treat us like your doormats!"

"Oh really, I think it does. Face it, aside from your make believe news show that nobody cares about, you two have nothing. I bet you don't even have a date for the dance tonight."

Those last words struck a deep cord within Millie's subconscious as the meaning of Sissi's statement further resonated within her mind. Deep down inside she knew that Sissi was right...she was dateless for the prom. Although it was ok to go to the prom single, Milly was not ready to face the social stigma that came with that decision. Especially if it that someone was constantly in the public eye, which her position as a reporter had brought her. Milly did not want the embarrassment of going to the prom alone, nor did she want to give Sissi the upper hand in this argument. If she were to admit the truth, it would only give Sissi even more leverage and the insulting would only continue. She had to think of a way out and fast.

"Umm...," Milly stalled as she quickly thought of a replay. "It's no problem I could get a date anytime." After completing her answer, a wave of relief swept over her body as she narrowly escaped the question; however, this feeling was short-lived.

"Prove it tenderfoot. Go ahead, ask any guy. I'm waiting."

Sissi words sent Milly into a loop. If she was unable find a date anytime soon she would have to eat her words along with a giant slice of humble pie and she new that a combination of these two products was not good for her health. She surveyed all the potential candidates and was deeply worried that she did not know a majority of them, until she saw him. Milly could barely contain her excitement as the subject of her affection entered her field of vision. She knew she liked him but was unable to act on these feelings out of shyness. A slight blush spread across her cheeks as she called out his name.

"Ul…rich."

Milly struggled to maintain her composure but her efforts were in vain. She had a hard enough time just saying his name, let alone asking him out to the dance, but she would not give up now knowing full well that Sissi was watching. She had to press on. Ulrich on his part was slightly startled; he was completely oblivious of Millie's presence until she called out his name which effectively stopped him dead in his tracks. Yumi, Jérémie and Odd also followed suit and turned their attention to the conversation. Ulrich stared at the pink haired girl and wondered if he should do anything at this particular moment. His thoughts were soon interrupted as Milly continued with her request.

"Would...you mind going with...me...to the dance?"

As the question began to sink in Milly was sure that Ulrich would say yes and waited for his replay as her hopes began to soar like a rocket.

Ulrich was stuck in a real Catch 22. Faced with the ever hopeful Milly he wanted to acknowledge her request as a friend so she could enjoy the dance but then again there was the fact that he promised Yumi the same thing. He had to make a choice knowing full that no matter who he chose one girl would be happy while the other would hate his guts. Ulrich racked his mind for an answer, any justification for the choice that he was about to make but to no avail, in the end he would stay true to his promise, even if it meant shattering Millie's hopes. As he struggled for a way to break the news to her gently, Millie's smile soon faded.

Milly saw the look in Ulrich's eyes, and they spoke volumes for him. He didn't need to say any more for she knew the answer, and it was not pretty. Her rocket ship of hope was sent plummeting toward the earth powered by the force of reality. The result of this crash was not a violent explosion but a single tear drop. Milly knew she lost and was once again bested by Sissi as she tried to salvage what little dignity she had left, she made one crucial mistake that she would greatly regret.

She looked over at the woman in question.

Sissi was wearing the biggest "I Told You So" grin that she ever saw while Herb and Nicholas stood behind her snickering at her misfortune. Whatever newfound courage that Milly had stored in order to tell Sissi off was quickly lost as the tears began to form again. At that moment Milly did what any normal teenager would do at that time.

She ran.

After seeing her best friend be reduced to a sobbing mess Tamiya glared at Sissi as she sought for means of vengeance against her transgression. Tamiya balled up her fist and was ready to knock that smug look off of Sissi's face for good but later chose against. She realized that hitting Sissi, although it would feel good at the moment, would accomplish nothing. Besides, she had a friend to comfort, which was more important than extracting her personal revenge. Tamiya soon left to find her friend in her hour of need.

* * *

To put it bluntly Yumi was pissed. She couldn't just stand there motionless as Sissi verbally abused the two girls. If no one was going to stand up for them, then she would be more than will to shoulder that burden of responsibility. 

"Hey, Sissi!" Yumi called out. "I hope you're really proud of yourself for what you just did, because frankly…it makes me sick seeing you treat others that way!"

Sissi was slightly intimidated by the anger in Yumi's voice but she did a good job in hiding it as she answered back in a calm manner.

"Oh Yumi, it's not my fault that Milly can't find a date." Sissi then changed the topic in an effort to put Yumi on the defensive. "So Yumi, what dirt do you have on Ulrich? Because it seems like blackmail would be the only reason why he would go to the dance with you."

Sissi's stratagem paid off in spades as her comment got a rise out of Yumi. Before Sissi was able to take advantage of the opening she created, an unfamiliar voice halted her plan of attack.

"I don't think so. He could have gone to the dance with Yumi or with a spoiled, stuck-up girl...like you. Hard choice I'd say," said a mysterious voice. Everyone's attention soon focused on the doorway in an effort to identify the unknown speaker. Just then the individual stepped forward into the light revealing him.

Now it was Sissi's turn to be on the defensive. She blew off the person's comment thinking that he was just another student in her class that was jealous of her popularity and status. As she turned around to face her unknown assailant, she froze in place. He was wearing a black jacket with its left sleeve rolled up along with a long-sleeves red shirt. A gray pair of track pants with a red and white strip going up the sides along with a set of black and white tennis shoes finished off his outfit. As she looked at his face while watching him remove his black headphones from his head her eyes went wide with shock. There was something different about this guy she contemplated. It wasn't that he was extremely handsome or cute. It was just that although she had definitely never met this person before, she felt like she'd seen him somewhere else.

"Why does he look so familiar?" She thought to herself as she continued her inspection. "I would have definitely remembered someone who dresses like that, especially that sleeve, how weird."

Sissi wasn't the only person who was perplexed by the individual's presence. Odd too saw the strange familiarity in his face. As he glanced over at Yumi, he noticed that she was wearing an almost identical expression that Sissi had. If this were to happen at a less serious moment, he would have made a wise crack about the two mortal enemies being more alike than they realized but for now, he would just keep his mouth shut. Unfortunately this would prove be very difficult for him as the silence of the whole situation was killing him. He had to say _something _to break the eerie clam that possessed the room.

"Hey, Yumi. This guy shares your interest in colors, well black at least. I bet you two would be really close friends."

The individual chuckled at Odd's joke and prepared to speak again. "Actually my purple-haired friend, we share many more things than that."

Ulrich suddenly found himself balling up his fist. "Who the hell is this guy?" He thought to himself "And what's his connection with Yumi?"

He ran by several explanations in his head in an effort to clarify the situation before hand. Could this guy be an old boyfriend that he never heard about? Or, even worse...some stalker who wished to harm her? As that last thought entered his head Ulrich immediately stepped in front of Yumi. He did not trust this guy, not one bit and the minute he made any threatening moves against her or any other of his friends, he was going to beat the living daylights out of him.

Seeing Ulrich's reaction Yumi raised her arm to calm him down. She knew fully well who this person was and that he was far from dangerous. She couldn't believe her eyes. He was finally in front of her in the flesh. Only one word was needed to sum up all the joy she felt inside for being reunited after so long.

"Aniki!"

* * *

If only Milly shared that same feeling of joy that Yumi was experiencing, then she wouldn't be in the garden shed crying her eyes out into her teddy bear. 

"I hate them. I HATE THEM ALL!" Milly screamed as loud as she could, trying to find an outlet for her rage. "Especially that stupid Sissi," Milly uttered in between sobs. "Just once I'd like to get back at her for all of the harm she has caused."

Millie's fortress of solitude was soon discovered by Tamiya as she peered through the window.

"Milly, are you done sulking in there?" Seeing no reaction from her friend, Tamiya entered the shed and was greeted with Millie's tear-streaked face. She had to take action.

"Listen Milly, it's not as bad as you think, there are plenty of people who don't have a date for prom."

"But you don't understand! It's all Sissi's fault! Why does she have to treat us so horribly?"

"It's because it's in her personality. In my honest opinion I don't think she really doesn't care for anyone outside of herself, not even her "friends" Herb and Nicholas. It's only a matter of time before her actions will catch up with her."

"I just hope it will come sometime soon."

"That's enough crying for one day. If you have already forgotten, we still have a news report to shoot and there isn't much time left."

Millie's sadness quickly subsided and was replaced with the same feeling of determination that she had this mourning. As they both left the garden shed neither of the two friends realized the teddy bear that was left behind. The door soon closed and thus made the bear the sole occupant of the room, but not for long. A dark, shapeless shadow filled the room as it searched for a suitable host to carry out its diabolical plan. If only Milly knew the true power that her words carried. Although she will get her wish that day, she was about to get more than she bargained for.

* * *

Odd was confused, well more confused than usual, Yumi's one-word answer failed to clarify anything, especially individual's identity. 

"Aniki? What the heck does that mean? Aniki, sounds like...sounds like...well whatever it sounds like, it's not too familiar with me."

"It means older brother in Japanese," Yumi answered, overjoyed to be saying that name once again.

"OLDER BROTHER!" The other three boys said in unison. For the short period of time they've known Yumi, they were never aware of her having any siblings what so ever.

It was at that moment the individual decided to introduce himself. "Jin Ishiyama, at your service."

Jin's introduction was accompanied by a gentleman's bow in an effort to show that he meant no harm. Although his intentions were genuine, Sissi was still skeptical, thinking that this was all an elaborate prank set up by Ulrich and the others. She had every reason why to think so. For one, he showed up out of the clear blue yonder and was ready to chew her head off in a moment's noticed. Second, he looked too young to be Yumi's older brother. She decided to act upon her assumptions and probe deeper into the subject.

"Oh, yeah? Well if you really are her older brother, why do you look like you're around her age? By how much are you older than her?"

"Do I really have to answer that question? Look miss, why don't you put two and two together but I'll humor you just for the fun of it. Now if my memory serves me correct, I'm exactly three minutes and twenty-two seconds older than her. Happy now?"

"THREE MINUTES!" The three boys said again along with the aid of Sissi.

"Then that would mean you're Yumi's twin," Ulrich said, pointing out the obvious. "But I thought twins were of the same gender and obviously you're not a girl."

Yumi glanced at Jérémie and gave him a "you take this one" look. Jérémie nodded a spoke again.

"Actually your partially right, Ulrich. Jin and Yumi are fraternal twins. Fraternal twins only share about fifty percent of their genes thus allowing more variations such as gender etc. Also in specific medical journals..."

"OK Einstein, I think he gets the message," Odd interrupted "Now if you excuse me, all this talk about twins and DNA is doing nothing that will help set up this area for the prom."

Jin interest was sparked. Now eager to work, he cracked his knuckles ready for the upcoming task at hand. "Alright then, let's get to work troops!"

"Wow, when he said he shared a lot more in common with Yumi he wasn't kidding. They both have the same work ethic," Odd said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Well you heard him, let's start building."

Jin accompanied the four friends as they made their way back to the work site while Sissi's group tagged along behind them. "Um…sis? Would you mind introducing me to your friends, I kinda don't know who they are."

Yumi mentally kicked herself in the head once she realized that she failed to reveal the identities of her friends and promptly sought to remedy this.

"Well Jin, the fellow with the glasses here is Jérémie he's our computer wiz kid and knows almost everything."

"Not everything Yumi. It's like what they say. True knowledge stems from the fact that you know nothing." He then turned his head toward Jin to continue his introduction. "Pleased to meet you."

"I can clearly see that. I can't name too many people that I know who can break down the genetic relationship between fraternal twins. How did you come across info like that?"

"Byproduct of boredom."

"Man you must have been really bored to learn about a whole separate language."

Yumi continued, "Now this strange looking person here is Odd. His behavior can best be explained as...unorthodox"

"Well it's obvious what your favorite color is," Jin said as he inspected his wardrobe. He then extended his arm for a handshake which Odd returned. "Nice hair. I don't normally see that style around here often."

"What can I say? It's a fashion statement," Odd said in his usual sarcastic tone. "What about you rolling up your jacket's sleeve like that? I don't normally see that around here either."

"What can I say? It's a fashion statement," Jin mimicked. They both laughed after seeing that their sarcastic wits were at equal levels with one other.

Yumi joined in on their fit of laughter and regained her composer. "And last but not least this is Ulrich"

Unlike the others Ulrich was silent and just gave Jin a nod that acknowledged his presence.

"Ah so this is the infamous Ulrich that I keep hearing about."

Ulrich was surprised when he heard Jin's comment.

"Yep, whenever Yumi talk's about her experiences here, she always brings up your name. Don't know why but it's good to finally meet you in person." A slight blush spread across Ulrich and Yumi's face upon hearing this fact. Jin looked at their faces and was confused.

"Was it something I said sis?"

"No, it's…nothing…really, it is. You know Ulrich, I wouldn't have mind if you went to the dance with Milly. She really wanted to go with you."

"Thanks for understanding. Look, I'll find some way to make it up to you I promise."

Once again their blushes returned for all to see. Jin witnessed it all and tried to bring the discussion back on track. "Ai ya! Will you two love birds just give it a rest for a minute here?"

Both Yumi and Ulrich stammered in unison. "It's not what you think guys!"

"Whatever you say. Oh, and sorry about my entrance before. I'd kind of just show up out of nowhere, kind of like a ghost." Jin remembered Ulrich's reaction when he first revealed himself to the others and took special note of it. "If I scared you, I apologize, especially to you Ulrich. But it's good that see that all of you guys have my sister's back incase if she were in any danger."

With their introductions out of the way the five of them made their way to the work site.

* * *

If one were to see the current expression that Sissi wore at that moment, one could easily deduce that she was greatly annoyed. 

"Hey, Sissi, you don't look so happy," commented Nicholas stating the painfully obvious.

"Of course I'm not you dolt! I was on a roll by showing Milly the error of her ways and then out of nowhere, here comes this guy who tries to tell ME off. Now he's a part of the "Weirdo Bunch" and worse yet he's Yumi's brother! Arrrrrrg!"

Sissi's cries of frustration fell onto deaf ears while she led her group inside the auditorium.

* * *

The children wasted no time and they began to set up the place for the upcoming prom. Jérémie inspected the equipment that the DJ would use later that night while Jin, Odd and Ulrich handled mostly grunt work, lifting boxes and such. Even Sissi was productive as she was currently balancing on a ladder held by Herb in order to install the crystal disco ball in the middle of the ceiling. 

"Wow I'm impressed," Jin said in amazement, witnessing the spectacle first hand. "Looks like Sissi put her money where her mouth is and is actually helping us."

Jin's word perked Odd's ears and he turned around toward his direction. "Wait. You know Sissi!"

"Remember, I was in that doorway for quite some time, listening to her speak. But I only know a few details about her, like her name and the fact that she was prom queen last year. Now that's a five-thousand dollar question. How on Earth did she manage to pull that off? My only explanation is that her judges were both blind _and _deaf."

"Well she could pull stuff off like that when her father uses a special scoring method for the contest I think you know him. He's the school's principal after all."

"Now that explains a lot of things."

Ulrich heard the topic of their conversation and wanted to put his two cents in. If it involved Sissi bashing in any way, shape or form, he immediately wanted a piece of the action. "Right and if meanness was a factor in the pageant then she would win easily hands down."

With his daily requirement of Sissi's insults satisfied, Odd changed the topic of the conversation to answer the major question that was plaguing his mind ever since he met Jin.

"So Jin, where were you all this time? I find it a bit strange that I haven't met you until now and you're a blood relative of Yumi. Did you run away from home or something?" he said jokingly. Unfortunately for him, Jin took Odd's sense of sarcasm seriously.

"I was living with some relatives in America for the past two years, so no, I didn't run away from home, but...I was running away from something. Look, I really don't want to dwell on this subject any more it's something I don't want to talk about."

"I'm sorry'"

"Don't be, it's not your fault, you didn't know. Now if you excuse me, I need to set up those ladders over there so we can stream some more banners. "

Odd was flabbergasted by Jin's sudden mood swing as he watched him walk to the far side of the auditorium. He decided to ask Yumi to help clarify this.

"Hey Yumi, what's wrong with your brother? All I asked was why he moved to America."

Yumi slowly turned around and took in a small breath of air before speaking to her friend. "I don't think Jin would like it if I were to suddenly start telling everyone about his problems without him knowing so. All I'll say is this, Jin left to America in order to sort some things out and the only reason why he's here again was because I asked him to come back."

Yumi watched Odd give a silent nod of acknowledgment communicating that fact that he would not go any deeper on the subject. Secretly she knew that Jin would return just like she asked, but she was still surprised how quickly he answered her call. With the first phase of her plan completed she moved onto the next step.

* * *

Jérémie was busy checking the wiring of the school's equipment to see if was safe. Just then, he heard someone calling his name. 

"Jérémie, can I ask you for a really big favor?"

"Sure."

"I want to ask you if Jin could be a member of our group."

"Looks like he already is. You should have seen him joke around with Odd and Ulrich just moments earlier."

"No Jérémie, I'm talking about our _special group._"

"What do you mean our special group, I mean we're not winning any popularity contests here...Oh no! You don't mean..."

Yumi nodded her head.

"Are you crazy? We barely know this guy and you're asking us to just reveal all our secrets to him? It's hard enough amongst the four of us let alone five."

"Jérémie you can trust him, he's my brother after all," Yumi said in a sincere tone of voice. "We both know we have a hard enough time fighting XANA's monster as is. With another member in our group we can stack the odds in our favor. Besides you know you want to make another character just like old times."

"I don't think that's a wise decision to make by myself. Wouldn't we need Ulrich and Odd's impute as well"

"Then let's give him a trial run?"

"Trial Run?" Jérémie repeated unsure of what his female friend was suggesting.

"Is there a way you could program him into the computer's database so that when we return to the past after a XANA attack he can still remember the original events but vaguely enough so that he would just dismiss them as a dream?"

"Well I can just impute his basic specs into the computer so that would be possible. The only way one could remember the attacks completely is if they have a character entered in the computer but why do you ask?"

"Think of it. All you have to do is program him into the computer and when XANA attacks we'll see how he handles himself. If he does a good job then well go on with the process but if he fails then he'd would just dismiss the entire ordeal as a dream or a case of déjà vu."

"Since you put it that way, I guess there's no real risk anymore. Ok, it's a done deal, since I'm not doing any heavy duty programming, I can use the computer in my room to handle this but I better start now, it's gonna take me a while."

"Thanks a bunch and one more thing Jérémie. Just out of curiosity, you said yourself that you need a character to retain your memory after a return to the past trip. How do you keep yours?"

"Simple, I do have a character for Lyoko, but it's just for show. There's nothing too spectacular about it and I just have it so I can be in the database and besides, If I were to use it, who would be manning the scanners?" with that said Jérémie left the Yumi's presence to fulfill her request.

* * *

Jin was too focused on his current task of setting up the ladders against the walls for further decoration of the area to notice his sister's plotting. Things were going by smoothly for him, until karma decided to act. It was now his turn to be confronted by an unfamiliar voice but this time the encounter would prove to be much more hostile. 

"Look what the cat dragged in. We got ourselves a new kid in Kadic. Well it's time for us to give him a warm welcome." Jin spun around toward the direction of the voice that was calling toward him and was face to face with Kadic Junior High's most notorious students, Clayton and Dirk.

Clayton was a large boy who wore baggy clothes that augmented his size. While Dirk was a thinner figure that dressed in semiformal clothing to show off his wardrobe. While the two bullies in training greatly differed in sizes and fashion sense, they both shared the same attitude problems. Clayton regularly attended class for the sole reason of harassing the smaller students of the room. He knew he was a large man and was not afraid to use that largeness to his advantage. Dirk too had his fair share of faults. He carried a narcissistic personality along with some anger management issues. He was the more cunning of the two as he was willing to lie, manipulate, cheat and steal all to accomplish his goals. Seeing her brother's predicament, Yumi rushed to his aid and began to stare down her two other mortal enemies. Jin was unaware of the "special" relationship her sister held with these two beings.

The bad blood held between his sister and the two bullies began just last year when they all shared Mrs. Hertz's physics class together. For some unknown reason, she was their preferred target of choice as they gave her grief every day. Only through support of her friends was she able to keep on going. Fate would later play out in Yumi's favor as Clayton and Dirk were held back a year to retake the course. Apparently they focused too much on insulting Yumi rather than their studies. This saved Yumi from another year of ridicule. Although she got away scot-free, Ulrich, Odd and Jérémie were not as lucky as the two bullies began to target them with their antics.

"Ah Yumi, so nice of you to join us," Dirk said in a sly tone. "We were just introducing ourselves to the new kid."

"Hey, that new kid has a name and it's Jin!"

It was now Clayton's turn the pile on the abuse on their former verbal punching bag. "What's with the attitude, sweetheart? Is this guy your boyfriend or something?"

"Hey! Don't talk to my sister like that, jackass! I can see that you two are not on good terms with her. Well let me just tell you both something. If you mess with my sister than you mess with me."

Dirk noticed the likeness in their looks and put two and two together. "Awww, Yumi has a twin brother, how sweet. So does your mommy dress you the same?"

"I wouldn't be ragging on twins right now, since you guys are twins yourselves."

Clayton was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well you're the most unique case of Siamese twins I've ever seen. Never before have I seen two people that share the same single brain cell."

"Why, you little—!"

Clayton was furious, never in his life had he been insulted so badly before. Clouded by his rage, he swung a wild punch toward Jin, determined to cause permanent physical injury. Seeing Clayton's reaction, Jin immediately took the defensive. Grabbing a piece of sheet metal used in the construction of the DJ's stage, he raised the object toward his face in an effort to protect himself and waited for the inevitable with a smile on his face.

KLANG!

Clayton's fist smashed into the metal sheet producing an ear-shattering sound throughout the building. The nerves in his hand went wild as he felt the results of flesh and bone meeting cold hard steel.

"Humph" Jin grunted, impressed with his handiwork. "Why am I not surprised?"

"YOU LITTLE PUNK!" Screamed Clayton, his fist was still ravaged with pain.

Dirk saw his friend cradle his fist in a vain effort to subside his suffering. He too was filled with anger. However, after seeing the damage that Jin and his metal plate caused to Clayton, he knew that he was no match against him in a head to head fight. He had to find another way to extract his revenge. He saw his opportunity in the ladders that Jin had set up moments earlier. Taking advantage of them, Dirk shot out his foot in the direction of the ladders striking them with a tremendous force. The ladders knocked over chairs, tables and decorations before landing with a thunderous crash that echoed throughout the building team's ears. Satisfied with the destruction they had caused, the two bullies left the wreckage both wearing the same wicked smile but not before taking a parting shot at the group of friends.

"Don't forget about today Ishiyama, because I know we won't!"

"Hey don't strain your brain, my friend. You still have to share it with Tweedle Dumb over there!" Jin yelled out as he watched the two of them leave.

The rest of the students who saw the incident, including Yumi, Odd and Ulrich, were stunned. Never before had a single student gotten such a violent reaction out of those two but now the students were faced with an even bigger problem with the dance a few hours away, how can they set up in time now?

Jin cracked his knuckles once more and spoke, "Look guys, the students are counting on us to get this place set up so let's get to work."

* * *

The children in the auditorium were not the only ones working their hearts out at that particular moment. Jérémie was busy slaving away at his computer trying to program some of Jin's basic information that was provided by Yumi. As he furiously typed, he began to show signs of fatigue. It was at that particular moment, Aelita decided to pay him a visit. 

"Hello Jérémie."

To say that Jérémie was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Graced with Aelita's presence, Jérémie quickly forgot how tired he was and began to type at a steadier, relaxed pace.

"What are you working on?"

"I'm programming some basic information about Yumi's brother into the computer so he would be able to retain some of his memory after the next XANA attack."

"Shouldn't you have discussed this with Odd and Ulrich? That was a major decision you just made."

"Don't worry, Aelita, This is our way to see if Yumi's brother would be able to handle the duties that come with being a Lyoko fighter.

"I see."

Only the clicking of Jérémie's keyboard saved the two from complete silence as he resumed entering all the necessary commands. His Zen-like trance was once again broken by Aelita's questioning.

"Jérémie, what is a brother?"

Jérémie instantly stopped typing for the question caught his full attention. Anyone else would have thought that was a stupid thing to ask but he knew better. Aelita's knowledge of the outside world was somewhat limited and he had to factor that in before making an answer.

"Well Aelita," Jérémie struggled to find the answer for such a simple question "A brother is a male individual who's very close to you."

"In that case, are you my brother Jérémie?"

"It's not that simple Aelita. A brother has to share both your parents and your bloodline."

"You mean like they have a similar genetic code?"

"Correct."

"Well, if you're not my brother, then what is our relationship then?"

Jérémie was startled by the question. He'd never really analyzed his relationship with Aelita before. Never in his life had ever been this close to anyone before, real or virtual. At first he tried to deny it, dismissing his feelings by thinking that Aelita was just a simple computer program. However, as he got to know her, he began to learn more about his mysterious counterpart. Aelita had emotions, a conscious, empathy…to Jérémie, Aelita was more than human. She was almost perfect in his eyes, and was more than willing to bring that perfection into this world. However, although his moment of introspection was profound, it did little to answer Aelita's question. Regaining his sense of reality Jérémie articulated his answer.

* * *

Meanwhile in a nearby dorm Sissi was busy trying to materialize her own dream, mainly winning the title of prom queen for the second year in a row. She was still upset with the remarks made by Ulrich and the others but she couldn't let their words affect her contest tonight. She sat on her bed and began to undress until she was clad in only her undergarments. She then made her way to her closet and removed an outfit specifically picked out for this night. Sissi prided herself on her sense of fashion as she gazed at her pink tank top and light blue jeans. She then walked over to her mirror which held her various skin care and makeup products. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror all while applying a highly expensive moisturizing cream on the surface of her face. 

"Humph, not only will I steal the show tonight, but I'm also going to steal his heart," and with that Sissi placed two cucumber slices over her eyelids and prepared herself for a relaxing hour that would amplify her beauty even more.

She had only intended to relax in her dorm yet this was not meant to be. Little did she know she was being watched by a dark being deceptively disguised as an innocent child's toy. Through its blood red eyes, the being watched Sissi like how a tiger stalking its prey. It patiently waited underneath her bed, waiting for an opportune moment to strike, it couldn't have picked a better time. Sissi's was totally defenseless for its upcoming assault. Not wanting to waste anymore time, the being dug its claws into the carpet and prepared and unleashed its attack.

* * *

Jérémie raked his brain in an effort to answer Aelita's question appropriately. 

"We're friends. That's a term used for two people who are on really close terms with one another and are from different families."

"Is it possible for two people to become closer than friends?"

A blush spread across Jérémie's cheeks as he considered the possibilities. "Um...yes it is...but it takes a substantial amount of time for that to happen."

Jérémie's moment of tranquility, a rarity in this day and age, was shattered by an ear-piercing scream.

"Did you hear that Jérémie?"

"I did, I'm going to check it out'"

"Ok, but be careful."

"Don't worry I will."

Jérémie bolted out of his room and down the hallway. After seeing Sissi flee her room with a look of sheer terror on her face and wearing only a bath robe, He stopped his sprint.

"This might be too much for me to handle alone," he said to himself. Not taking any chances, he pulled out his cell phone and began to dial for help.

* * *

Jérémie's call was unneeded as the students inside the building instantly took notice of Sissi's cries for help. They ran to the entrance of the dorms and saw Sissi crying and leaning against the doorway being comforted by her father. 

"Move along people, there is nothing to see here;" the principal said in an almost pathetic attempt to maintain order.

Jérémie ran down the staircase to join the others in the courtyard as they tried to figure out what actually happened in Sissi's room.

"Welcome to Kadic Junior High Jin," Odd said in a tone that faked excitement. "Sure weird stuff happens here all the time, but judging by your personality, you'll fit in just fine."

"So tell me sis, does stuff like this _always_ happen?"

"If you only knew."

Ulrich looked away from the discussion that his friends had only to see Jérémie running toward their direction.

"Oh thank goodness that I found you guys." Jérémie was slightly out of breath as he talked in-between pants. "Did you guys hear about Sissi?"

"Well of course we did," Ulrich replied. "I mean half the school is here right now."

"Real funny Ulrich, but do you know _exactly _what happened to her?"

"Nope, how about you?

"I only saw Sissi run out of her room in sheer fright before calling your cell phones. Outside of that, I can't make out heads or tails of what happened here. Can you get the others? We need to talk right now."

Ulrich caught Yumi's attention and motioned with his hands to move to his location. Yumi for her part brought over Odd and Jin to the desired spot.

"Look guys," Jérémie resumed the conversation. "We won't know what specifically happened back there unless we look at her room. Maybe we can find some clues that could give us some answers."

* * *

"Man and I thought Odd was a messy roommate," Ulrich said, looking over Sissi's dorm. 

Sissi's lush and elegantly decorated room lay in shambles. Tables and chairs were turned over, mirrors were smashed, and several articles of clothing were strewn on the floor in a discarded ruin.

Yumi was a bit worried knowing that Sissi would never allow her room to be in such a poor condition. "Any ideas, guys?"

One look was all that Jérémie needed as he conjured up his conclusion. "It's simple guys. Sissi was preparing for the dance and had too many electronics plugged in which caused an electrical overload."

"But what about all the damage that was caused?" Asked Odd still confused of what was going on.

"Sissi must have caused it herself when she panicked."

Jin entered the conversation and tried his best to make light of the situation. "Just great Jérémie," he said in his usual sarcastic tone of voice. "Not only are you the junior incarnation of the great Albert Einstein, but you're also a little Sherlock Holmes in training. Who needs the Las Vegas Crime Lab when they got you working the case?"

Yumi soon joined in, "Real funny, Aniki. Well, at least we got that problem out of the way." She then glanced at her watch to check the time. "Well today's been fun but I think we should head home ourselves so we can get ready for tonight. You think you guys can cover the rest of the construction for us?"

"No problem," Ulrich said and with that he saw both Jin and Yumi leave. "Ok Odd, let's get to work"

Odd groaned in disbelief. "Oh man Ulrich, I think those two are starting to rub off on you, you're starting to sound like them already."

The two boys returned to their duties leaving Jérémie alone with the crime scene. As he turned around to leave, he saw Milly and Tamiya make their way to the room. Milly pulled out her note pad and began to jot down some notes on the incident while Tamiya, armed with a Polaroid camera started taking pictures.

"Another news story, girls?" Jérémie asked, curious of them being here.

"Yep and a juicy one in fact," replied Milly. She was eagerly taking down notes and was even smiling at the whole ordeal.

"You know, for such a tragic story, you're doing more than your fair share of smiling. What gives?"

"To tell you the truth I'm happy that this happened."

"What!"

"You heard me. She deserved this for how she treated me today. I'm just surprised that it came so soon."

"The incident this mourning," he said underneath his breath.

"The one and only. Now if you excuse us, we have some more information to collect. Oh and before I forget…" Milly held up her notepad in Jérémie's direction. "Would you mind providing a statement for the paper?"

* * *

"So, how does it feel?" 

"How does what feel?"

"You coming home of course"

Yumi tried her best with stirring up a conversation with her brother. His time spent in America really changed him. Although he was still the same goofy childish boy she'd always knew, there was something more to him now. His experiences in the U.S. added onto his already complex personality.

"I don't know. It feels weird. I mean it's my home after all but for some reason I feel a little afraid. I mean I know I've changed since I last left here, I just hope I can fit back into my old routine of life."

"Don't sweat it Aniki. I'm sure mom and dad are going to be overjoyed once they see you just like how I was."

Jin sighed to himself, "Well I guess you're right. So Yumi, why did you want me to come back?"

"It's because we all missed you, Jin. Besides, my life was taking a turn for a better and I wanted you here to help me see it through."

"That's really thoughtful of you but in your letter you said that there was something going down here and I thought that you got yourself into some serious trouble."

"There is, but I'm not sure on what's going on, myself. For now, just enjoy the fact that you're finally home after two years. Speaking of your return trip, how on Earth did you get here?"

"I swam."

"No really."

"Sheesh, Mom and Dad planned everything they bought my airline tickets and had a family friend pick me up and drop me off to school. They also didn't want me to tell you when I was going to be home so I could surprise you. Looks like our efforts paid off."

"That explains your entrance this morning, but what about your stuff?"

"The friend dropped it off at our house"

Yumi looked up and saw that they arrived at their destination of choice, home.

"I think you should knock first."

"Fine" Jin raised his hand and gave three loud knocks on the door. A female voice answered from the other side.

"Who is it?"

"It's Yumi."

"And Jin."

"Jin!" The door flew wide open revealing their parents on the other side. Mrs. Ishiyama ran up to him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. "It's so good to see you again! When we found out that you wanted to come home we were so happy. Our family is finally back together."

"That's...nice...mother...but you're kind of crushing my spinal cord..."

"Sorry dear" Jin's mother released him from her viselike grip as he crumpled to the floor gasping for breath.

It was then his dad's turn to greet him. "Son!"

"Oh no, not you, too!"

Seeing his son's predicament Mr. Ishiyama decided to just give him a hearty handshake and leave it at that.

"Hi mother. Hi father." Yumi walked over to her parents and gave them both a kiss on the cheek almost completely ignoring her brother's pain. "We're gonna get ready for the dance tonight. Is that Ok with you?"

"We?" They asked perplexed.

The after effects of their mother's bear hug wore off as Jin was able to stand again. "I talked with the principal this mourning concerning my classes and he invited to the prom tonight saying that it would be a good way for me to "mingle" with the student body"

"Speaking of classes Jin," Yumi asked. "How do yours look?"

"Well to make things easier on me, they just gave me the same schedule as yours."

"Oh, goodie."

"Well Jin," His mother spoke again. "All your stuff arrived safe and sound and we left your room alone, so why don't you use this time to unpack while I'll get dinner ready?"

"Thank you, mom."

"Oh by the way, we left a gift for you on your night stand to celebrate your return."

"Thanks again."

"Actually you should say that to your sister. It was her idea."

Jin made his way upstairs to his room and looked at his night stand as he was instructed to do. Sitting right on top of the table was an all black cell phone with a note attached to it. He picked it up and began to read it.

* * *

_Dear Jin, _

_I know you're still confused with why I called you back here but all answers will come in time. Please take good care of this because I have a feeling that you're going to need it real soon._

_Your Loving Sister,  
Yumi_

_

* * *

_

Jin inspected the phone some more and noticed that his sister had programmed into the memory along with her own number: Odd, Ulrich and Jérémie's number.

"What does my sister have in store for me? I wonder," Jin asked himself.

He pocked the phone and began to unpack his items. He first reassembled his computer on his desk and turned it on. Satisfied to know that it was still working, he resumed his task. He removed several books that he originally brought to America, and also some newer ones that he purchased. His collection was very eclectic as it contained several martial arts manuals, books written by Michael Moore and Jerry Seinfeld and several books about psychology and philosophy. Next, he unpacked his only two DVDs which he enjoyed greatly—_Monty Python and the Holy Grail_, a movie that contained countless moments of comedic genius, and _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. He enjoyed the second movie because he was able to relate to the main character. He was a natural showman who was always messing things up despite his best efforts.

"Yumi! Jin! Dinner's ready!"

Jin still had more boxes to unpack but then again his stomach was growling. Looks like he was going to finish unpacking some other time. Before he left the room, Jin placed his most prized possessions on his night stand. His CD player, a copy of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, the letter his sister wrote that asked him to come home and finally two picture frames, one containing a picture of a thirteen-year-old boy and the other holding a news article about a tragic event.

* * *

"FINALLY WE'RE DONE!" Odd yelled in triumphed after hours of slaving away in the large room coupled by the setbacks Clayton and Dirk caused, the area was finally prom ready. 

"I'm glad that it's over," said Ulrich wiping the sweat from his brow.

One the other side of the room, Milly was frantically looking for a cherished object. Tamiya once again saw her friend in a state of worry.

"What's wrong this time Milly?"

"It's my teddy bear! I went to my room and realized that it was missing!"

"Take it easy. Where was the last place you had it?"

"Well I was in the garden and...THE GARDEN SHED!" And with that Milly sprinted out of the doors.

"Twice in a row today," Tamiya said to herself as she made her way toward the shed.

* * *

Tamiya found her friend inside the shed in a panicked state. She watched Milly dart to and fro from each section of the shed she became increasingly worried. Her precious teddy bear was nowhere to be found. 

"Where is it?"

"Calm down Milly, there has to be an explanation for this"

"It's Sissi! Sissi took it! I just know she did! She wasn't satisfied with just making me look bad during our newscast but had to take one of my precious belongings!

"Whether Sissi took your bear or not, we gotta get out of here before we get into..."

Tamiya's train of thought was halted when she caught sight of a very large figure in red

"Too late."

"That's right. You're too late girls. Outside, now!" Jim watched the girls leave the shed as he locked the door. "What did I tell you kids, nobody is allowed to enter the garden shed without permission? With all the dangerous equipment in there, some one can get hurt. Little kids like you should especially stay clear from here understand?"

* * *

Milly had enough. First Sissi and now the P.E. teacher? Today was just not her day. "Don't treat me like a child just because I'm a year younger, I should be respected to!" 

"Look who's suddenly grown up. Fine if you want to talk like the big kids then you're going to be punished like them also. As of right now, news story or no news story, you two are forbidden to go to the dance tonight. Let this teach you a lesson in respect for your elders," Jim said no more and walked away.

The past events of the day left Milly completely drained and she was no longer willing to fight for the time being. All she wanted to do was to sleep her worries away. Her trance-like state was disturbed as she bumped into Odd and Ulrich.

"Hey Milly, what's wrong?" asked a concerned Ulrich still feeling guilty for crushing the girl's hopes this morning.

"It's...nothing Ulrich. Thanks for asking though," Milly replied trying to hold back her anger.

"Its ok, you can tell me, I insist."

Hearing Ulrich's request, Milly allowed the floodgates to open as she expelled are her pent up rage in one loud statement. "JIM GROUNDED US IN OUR ROOMS TONIGHT!"

"What!"

"I was in the garden shed with my teddy bear and I left it there. We came back for it later and that's when Jim spotted us and…well, you know the rest. But you have to understand Ulrich! I really miss my teddy bear. It's like another part of me!

"Any idea where it is now?"

Milly thought to herself for a few moments. An answer clear as day entered her mind as an angry look filled her eyes. "Sissi! Sissi took my bear! She wasn't satisfied humiliating me this morning, so she stole my bear to make fun of me more!"

"Sissi, again? Will that girl ever learn?"

All of a sudden Tamiya got an idea to help her friend. "Wait a minute Milly, I just took a number of pictures of Sissi's room remember? We'll just scan through the pictures and see what we could find."

The rest of the kids eagerly searched through the pictures and quickly found what they were looking for. Wedged in between a pillow and the headrest was Millie's teddy bear.

"I volunteer myself for this rescue mission," Odd said in a commanding tone of voice. Before the girls could reject his offer, he ran toward the dorms without another word.

"Is he always like this?" questioned Milly wondering why Odd was so "odd" at times.

"Sadly, yes," Ulrich said hanging his head down.

* * *

"Heh...Just like Mission Impossible," Odd chuckled to himself as he crept through the hallways. Just for his amusement, he was humming the famous theme song from the show and pretending that he was on an important mission that would decide the fate of the world instead of just recovering a teddy bear. Sissi's room was not hard to miss. It was the only room with its door wide open revealing remnants of was once a girl's room. He held the photograph and walked to the area shown on the picture to pick up Millie's bear. Much to Odd's surprise, the bear was nowhere to be found, despite its obvious location indicated by the picture. 

"Now where could it be now?" Odd questioned himself trying his best to figure out the events that played out before him. "It's not like it just got up and walked away."

Little did Odd know how correct he was.

* * *

Jim had seen better days. First there was the overall stress of trying to set up the school dance and making sure that all the plans were following the schedule. Next there was the Sissi incident with her room where it was his duty to keep the curious masses away from her dorm to prevent any contamination of the crime scene. Finally there was the time he had to scold Milly and Tamiya about their entrance to the garden shed. At times like this Jim regretted his extra responsibilities outside of teaching P.E. since it made him look like the bad guy. He really did not want to ban the two girls from the dance since they were so looking forward to it, however rules are rules. Someone had to maintain order here and Jim saw it as his duty to do so. As he finished locking the door to the leading to the auditorium, he turned around and was greeted with a horrific sight.

* * *

Revenge was a dish best served cold. The being's second target stood before him ever fearful of its bloodshot gaze. At first the being's size was very small and thus only allowing him to cause minimal damage to its first target. Although it succeeded in causing Sissi misery, it was not satisfied with the destruction it caused. Now he was significantly bigger, almost twice the size of the portly man in its vision.

* * *

"Back away! I'm a black belt in Judo!" Jim's frightened tone of voice betrayed the intimidating look he was going for. Jim assumed his fighting stance and launched out a barrage of skillful strikes. If his opponent was human, he would have been on the floor in two seconds flat gasping for breath but then again punches and kicks do little to no damage against a body that was covered in fur and stuffed with cotton and twice your size. Jim was horrified when he noticed this and braced himself for the inevitable. 

The being chuckled to itself as it watched its target try to defend himself. This person was willing to fight, unlike the first who just ran away from his presence. It swung its massive arms toward him, catapulting him against a nearby wall instantly knocking him out. With its dirty deed accomplished the being moved on. Its first victim was charged with the embarrassment of its owner. The second was responsible for denying Milly her happiness. The being then made its way to its third target, the one responsible for it all and what it had in store for this one was a worse fate then the previous two combined.

"And you're sure that Sissi took your bear?" Odd questioned Milly.

"Of course, didn't you see the picture?"

"But when I went to her room to get it, it wasn't there."

"Hey guys, I think you should get a look at this," Ulrich butted in. The five children turned around to see a large group of students circling around a particular area. As they made their way to the front of the crowd, they saw Jim's battered body being rolled in, by a stretcher, into the school's infirmary. Ulrich and Odd both saw the look of sheer terror in Jim's eyes as he came in and were immediately worried.

"Ok guys, look..." were the only words that Ulrich was able to say before he was interrupted by Odd.

"I'm going to get some more info. In the mean time girls, you should head back to your rooms. Especially you Milly, you look really tired."

"But, what about my bear, Odd?"

"I'll give to you the moment I find it."

"Thanks."

The girls left their area and made their way to their room while Odd chased after Jim's stretcher.

"You gotta admire his enthusiasm," commented Jérémie as he watched Odd run off once again.

* * *

"What is this school coming to?!" The principal asked himself. First my daughter's room is completely destroyed, and now I hear that Jim was attacked just a few minutes ago. I'm getting to the bottom of this!" 

The infirmary's door opened, revealing a still panic stricken Jim who was now fully awake.

"Jim, what's the meaning of this?" The principal asked concerned for the P.E. teacher's safety.

"I…I…I…" Jim was still paralyzed with fear. He was unable to speak still deeply traumatized from his attack.

"First my daughter is victimized and now you. Someone is attacking the students and it's my job as the school's principal to stop it. Please Jim, you got to help me."

Jim desperately wanted to help; he too cared for the kids of this school. That was why he was so strict with them—not because he was mean or anything like that; he was just looking out for their safety. He had to find a way to communicate with the in order to stop the madness. He quickly saw a pen and paper the Dorothy left behind. Seeing it as the only means of him communicating with the outside world, he gestured toward the desired objects. The principal understood what Jim wanted and handed the items to him.

"Ok Jim, I want you do draw the attacker as best you can."

Jim scribbled the picture on the notepad using what little artistic skills he had. He finished his drawing and handed it over to his boss.

"That's more like it Jim!"

The principal was ever so hopeful that Jim had just provided the much needed answers that he was looking for. As he adjusted his glasses and brought the paper to eye level for a closer examination, he was confused. According to Jim the unknown attacker that had both harassed his daughter and his fellow coworker was..._a giant teddy bear_! This had to be a mistake. He tried asking Jim again to see if this was some sort of sick and twisted practical joke.

"Are you sure this was the attacker?" The principal held Jim's crudely drawn bear close to his face so he could better see it.

Jim on his part began to nod at a frantic pace. The principal continued.

"And he must have been skilled in martial arts if he was able to overpower you."

Jim once again nodded.

"You know as well as I do that this was not the person who brought you harm. Obviously you're still frightened and can't think straight. I'll come back later when you regain your senses." He left the room to allow Jim to recover but now he was faced with a predicament. What was he going to do? There's some mysterious individual attacking random people on campus and there's a big dance tonight. He couldn't just let him roam free nor could he just simply cancel the dance, the students waited all year for it.

"The best course of action," he spoke to himself, "is to have extra chaperones for the prom tonight. We can't get the police involved if our main witness thinks that it was a teddy bear that attacked him," his train of thought was broken once he noticed a purple spot in his vision. He glanced up and noticed Odd in the doorway.

"Odd, what are you doing here?" He asked acknowledging his presence.

"I...was..." Odd quickly thought of an excuse that would explain him being at the infirmary at this time. "Concerned for Jim, yeah that's it. I wanted to know if he was ok."

"Jim is doing all right physically, but please, leave him alone. He's still traumatized after being attacked."

Odd noticed a crumpled up piece of paper in his hand." Hey, what's that ball of paper in your hand?"

"It's nothing. Just some trash I found on the floor. "The principal then threw the paper in the trash and walked toward his office.

When the principal was out of sight, Odd ran toward the trash can and picked up the ball of paper. As he unraveled the ball and began to focus on the picture the answers suddenly became clear to him.

"No way!" That was all he said before he made a mad dash to look for Ulrich and Jérémie.

* * *

Jérémie held Jim's doodle to the light to carefully examine it. A few moments passed before he spoke again. "Yep its official, this is XANA's doing" 

"You think so?" Ulrich asked, still wondering. Why would XANA control a teddy bear instead of something more dangerous?

"Think of it, Millie's teddy bear was found in Sissi's room when it was destroyed. Now we have this drawing that Jim made of his attacker."

"Ok so we know its XANA so what do we do?"

"What else? We head to the factory and stop it."

"But what about the school? We can't just leave it unguarded. One of us has to fly solo today."

"A solo mission. Are you crazy! No one is that stupid to go on a mission so dangerous! It's too high risk…it's insane!" Jérémie soon saw Odd who was practically jumping up and down just begging to be picked. Before Odd could "volunteer" himself again, Jérémie confirmed the obvious.

"Okay Odd, you can go"

"YEAH BABY! I mean...I accept"

"Then that means I'll watch over the campus. Ok, good luck guys."

"WAHOO!" Odd exclaimed in joy.

"Do you ever act serious Odd?"

"Aww, come on, Jérémie. Where's the fun in that?"

* * *

The campus was practically empty as the students were mostly in their rooms preparing for the dance. Jérémie and Odd ran at top speed to their secret manhole cover. After they had removed the lid and made their way down the ladder, the two boys quickly grabbed their method of transportation. Jérémie casually hopped on his scooter and began to peddle himself toward the factory while Odd was a little more forceful. Holding his skateboard, he ran full sprint down the sewer and took a monstrous leap forward, placing the board underneath him. They made their way to the factory with little incident. Soon they were sliding down the ropes they attached to the factory's roof to provide a quick entrance and made their way inside the elevator. Jérémie punched in the necessary code and the doors closed in front of them. Odd placed his hands on his hips while Jérémie clasped his behind his back. 

"So, Jérémie…" Odd said, to break the silence. "What does XANA want with Millie's teddy bear?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. The only important thing here is that this is a XANA attack and it's our job to stop it."

"What do you mean our job?" Odd retorted jokingly. "I'm the one whose gonna do all the fighting."

"That is true, but if I'm not at the computer then there is no chance for you to be devirtualized."

"Touché."

The elevator stopped and Jérémie got off leaving Odd behind. He ran to his chair and as it rotated to the factory's main computer. Aelita soon appeared on his screen with a worried look on her face.

"Jérémie!"

"I know, Aelita. It's XANA. I'm sending Odd over to Lyoko."

"What about the others?"

"Ulrich is still at the school and we can't get in touch with Yumi. We'll just have to make due with what we have. Odd, you there?"

Odd had managed to get to the scanner room during the period of time when Jérémie and Aelita were talking and was ready for his trip into the virtual world.

"You betcha."

"Okay, you're heading to the desert region now."

Odd stepped into the bright yellow scanner. With the door closed the scanner slowly spun him around to get a 360-degree profile of him.

"Transfer—Odd."

Jérémie selected Odd's character card from the list as he watched his character appear on the screen.

"Scanner—Odd."

A bright light engulfed Odd as he felt his body slowly leave the real world and into Lyoko.

"Virtualization."

* * *

Odd landed in the desert region of Lyoko in a catlike crouch. The area was dry and absent of any natural life, well almost. Waving in the distance was his virtual friend Aelita who stuck out greatly. Her bright pink clothes contrasted heavily with the desolate scenery. 

"So, did somebody call for a knight in shining armor?"

Aelita giggled at Odd's joke and pointed down a dirt ramp.

"The pulsations lead this way."

"Then what are we doing? Let's get going!"

No sooner did Odd say that, five of XANA's cockroaches got the jump on them.

"Odd!" Jérémie yelled from the comfort of the real world. "You're surrounded by five enemies. Get out of there and take care of Aelita!"

"You don't need to tell me that Einstein!"

Odd, stared a hole through XANA's minions and prepared his attack. As the monsters opened fired, Odd did several graceful cartwheel flips to dodge the oncoming lasers. In mid flip, he pointed his wrist at the group and fired.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd cried as a small arrow was launched from his wrist.

Aelita was impressed with Odd's composure in battle, but she knew that he was only one person, and he couldn't fight all of XANA's monsters like this.

"Odd, we have to go down, there's no other choice!"

In the time span between him looking at Aelita and him returning to the fight Odd was struck by a laser. He could feel a searing heat inside his body. Suddenly the pain was numbed, the result of a program that Jérémie recently installed so they could fight in Lyoko without being ravaged by pain every time they were hit by XANA's monsters.

"Odd! You only have ninety life points left, get a move on!" Jérémie screamed into the intercom.

Odd knew that stakes did not play out in his favor. Following Jérémie and Aelita's advice, Odd dove down the ramp and took cover behind a nearby ledge. As he checked on Aelita so see if she was all right, he saw a strange sight. No longer was Aelita in front of him, instead she was now falling…falling into the eternal abyss at the bottom of Lyoko—the Digital Sea. The whole sight played out in slow motion underneath a brown grain filter giving it a surreal feel. Odd shook himself from his trance but not before taking special note of it.

"Snap out of it and move!" Jérémie yelled out. Just then Ulrich's cell phone appeared on his monitor.

"Jérémie, I've got some real bad news!"

"What is it Ulrich?"

"Millie's little teddy bear isn't so little any more"

"Huh?"

"It's huge Jer. REALLY huge, and it's in the city right now."

"You're right. This is really bad! If the bear is in the city then it's not targeting the school."

"Look, I got to go, Jérémie. I'll keep you posted if I find anything."

Armed with only a flashlight Ulrich began to examine the massive footprints that lead to a broken fence and began to think.

"Jérémie's right, the bear is not targeting the school then what is he after. Could it be us? NO! YUMI!"

Ulrich ran toward Yumi's house, determined to save her from a gruesome fate.

* * *

"ODD!" Jérémie was now screaming into his intercom. "Hurry up! The bear has grown to a massive size and is IN the city as we speak." 

To bad for Jérémie, Odd didn't grasp the emergency at hand as quickly as he did. "Ooooooo...XANA, cockroaches and bears, oh my!"

"Real funny, Dorothy! Now why don't you follow the yellow-brick road of pulsations, so you can find the magical activated tower of Oz!"

"Geez, Jérémie, chill out! I'm here in Lyoko, remember?

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"I'd love to chat some more but I still got some company behind me but not for long."

Odd decided to pull off yet another acrobatic maneuver to deal with the cockroaches. He first performed a back handspring to allow himself to face the roaches head on. He used the backwards momentum to throw himself into a dive which gave him a full view of his targets. Odd then pointed both his wrist this time and unleashed his counter attack.

"Laser Arrow!"

Odd's assault proved to be too much for the cockroaches as they began to fall in droves. Three of Odd's arrows hit their target causing the forth cockroach to tumble to its own doom off the side of the cliff. Before Odd could congratulate himself for his remarkable comeback, he saw Aelita make a tumble of her own. Odd dove off the edge himself and grabbed Aelita's hand with one arm and used the free one to slow down his dissent. Odd buried his claws into the rocky wall in front of him and prayed for a quick stop. Bits of dirt and rock sprayed in all directions as he tried to both focus on stopping their free fall and hanging onto Aelita for dear life.

"Hang on Odd!"

Jérémie was at his wit's end. If there were to continue their fall, not only would have they have no means of fighting XANA, anymore, he would also lose two of his dearest friends. Jérémie watched as their speed finally began to slow down before they stopped completely in their tracks. The scene was too much for him to handle—Odd and Aelita hanging on for dear life, a giant teddy bear on a rampage in the city, and a XANA attack to thwart. Fortunately for him, Odd was able to make it more bearable for him.

"You were right about me taking care of Aelita Jérémie. I can't leave her alone for a second without seeing her get into even more trouble."

"You never miss a beat Odd."

Aelita noticed something unusual in the side of the mountain. Instead of the usual wall of rock that she expected to see, there was a hidden cave carved into the mountain.

"Look at this!"

* * *

Where Odd's troubles were ending, they were just about to begin with Ulrich. Tailing a giant teddy bear was an easy task for him, as he followed the trail of destruction that led him to Yumi's house. 

"I'd better get in touch with Yumi," he said to himself.

Ulrich began to frantically dial the numbers for Yumi's cell phone and waited anxiously for her to pick up. However, with each ring that echoed through his ears caused his hopes to diminish and his worries to skyrocket. Until...

"Hello, this is Yumi."

"Yumi, you got to get..."

"I'm not able to pick up my cell phone right now. Leave a message after the beep."

Things were looking really bad for Ulrich. He would have to warn Yumi the hard way, face to face.

* * *

Only two lights could be seen from outside the Ishiyama household lighting only Jin's room and the bathroom. The adults of the home left for a night on the town leaving the two children to fend for themselves for the night. Jin wisely decided to get ready for the prom before his sister had to use the bathroom and was already dressed for the occasion. His sister told him that he was going to arrive on the same day of the dance so he came back prepared to participate in the dance. He wore a midnight black suit with a red shirt underneath it along with a black Fedora hat so that he had a quasi zoot suit outfit. 

"Jin you're gonna knock them dead," he said to himself as he looked in the mirror.

* * *

Yumi too was doing her own preparations as she was currently taking a relaxing bath. She used her time to think about the previous events of the day and her plans concerning her brother. 

"I still can't believe he's home after two years," she told herself. "I hope my plan follows through. Jin really needs to be part of our fight against XANA. Maybe when he's done something this good, he could finally get over "that" incident two years ago."

Yumi said no more as she dunked her head into the warm water to help clear her mind, she continued to think.

"Still, even though Jérémie said that Sissi's predicament was caused by an electrical overload, why can't I shake this evil feeling?"

* * *

Jin walked over his computer to turn it on. He decided to use his extra time to brush up on some dance moves he learned in America by watching a particular music video on his computer. The video starred a man with long black hair wearing an all white suite and wearing hat similar to his but white. He mimicked the 80's singer's moves with great accuracy as he effortlessly slid his feet across the carpeted floor. Jin knew the singer had a bad reputation and only respected him for his musical genius and not his "lifestyle." The chorus began to play and Jin sang along with the words. 

_Annie are you ok  
So, Annie are you ok  
Are you ok Annie  
Annie are you ok  
So, Annie are you ok  
Are you ok Annie  
Annie are you ok  
So, Annie are you ok  
Are you ok Annie  
You've been hit by  
You've been hit by-  
A smooth criminal_

Jin stopped his practice session in mid-moonwalk once he heard the doorbell ring.

* * *

Ulrich waited at the doorstop and repeatedly pressed the doorbell trying desperately to gain the attention of the occupants of the household. He was finally relieved to see the door open but standing in the doorway was not the person he was looking for. 

"What's up Ulrich? I thought we were gonna meet you guys at the dance?"

"Change of plans Jin, I need to speak with your sister pronto!"

"Easy there. It's not like it's a life or death situation."

Ulrich eyes went wide after hearing Jin's comment. Jin took note of his reaction but acted as if he saw nothing.

"I'll get her." Jin turned away from the door and toward the direction of the bathroom that she was in. "Hey Yumi, you might want to come down here! Somebody wants to talk to you."

Yumi was slightly irked when Jin disrupted her train of thought and her shower. She slowly made her way to the changing room. Unlike her brother, Yumi's outfit was a little more modern. A stylized black tank top and short skit that exposed her midriff was the look she was going for. She made her way downstairs and saw an unexpected but most welcomed guest in her home.

"Ulrich?"

* * *

The first target was too prideful in herself. She was punished by having all of her possessions destroyed, wounding her ego. The second target was too intimidating for his own good. Using his size and authority were his own personal tools of oppression. His psyche was soon broken turning an imposing figure to a blubbering fool. 

Now it was time for the third target to pay his price. His crime, destroying the hopeful wishes of an innocent young girl and causing this chain of events. The girl too should also be eliminated for she aided in his evil act. Now that he was at his maximum size he would make them both pay the ultimate price.

* * *

"Good thing Mom and Dad are out, because if they saw you dressed like that, they'd go ballistic," commented Jin, targeting Yumi with his own brand of sarcasm. 

"Sorry to burst your bubble Aniki but they were the ones who help me buy this. Mom even said it looked cute on me."

"Ai ya."

Ulrich didn't have time to hear this, not when there was a giant teddy bear stalking the streets looking for them. He decided to take direct action now and leave and Q & A for later. He grabbed Yumi's hand and led her outside.

"Ulrich! What's the meaning of this?"

"Hey! Where do you think you're going with my sister?!" Jin asked as his temper began to rise.

"Cool it Jin. We got a serious emergency on our hands. You better stay here for your own safety."

"That's a negative Ulrich. If this involves my sister, then it involves me too!"

Yumi spoke in an effort to halt the argument between her brother and Ulrich. "Can you at least tell us what's going on?"

"There's no time to explain..."

Ulrich was cut off by a loud rumble that shook the earth with tremendous force.

"Well that's enough of an explanation for me," Jin cried out "Let's jet people!"

* * *

Odd was doing his own fair share of running in Lyoko. It was through serendipity that Aelita was able to find the secret cavern in the mountain region of Lyoko. The cave led them to an open area with the activated tower standing in the middle of it in all of its evil glory. 

"Well we didn't exactly find the light at the end of this tunnel, but we did find the tower and that's good enough for me," Odd said to Aelita.

"Stay alert Odd."

"Oh come on Einstein, this is going to be easy as..."

Unfortunately for Odd, it was not going to be that easy. A giant metal ball barreled down the cavern behind them. Odd and Aelita dodged the ball and watched it stop its forward momentum only to see it execute desired attack.

"Tsk, a Mega Tank. You just _had_ to open your big mouth Odd," he said to himself. "In Lyoko, things are never this easy."

He saw the sides of the ball split opened revealing its only weak point, the XANA symbol. The tank's center began to glow as it charged an unprecedented amount of energy before firing it at Odd and Aelita who once again jumped out of the way. Odd recovered from his roll and retaliated by firing at the tank only to see his instruments of destruction bounce harmlessly off the tank's iron hide. The tank then rolled to a new location and began its offense all over again.

"This is going to be WAY harder that I thought," Odd said as he tried to form his own strategy in his head.

* * *

"So tell me sis, does this kind of stuff happen EVERY DAY!" Jin yelled as he ran away from the giant teddy bear. 

"If you only knew! Hey Ulrich! Do you know where we're going?"

"Away from that THING!"

They ran through the shopping district and were doing everything in their power to lose sight of their large attacker. Ulrich soon spotted the means of their salvation as his eyes swept across a nearby store surrounded by high walls.

"Come on guys! This way!"

Jin bolted ahead of the group and was the first one to arrive at the store's grounds. He hid behind the wall. His dark suit provided an excellent camouflage against the night sky, making him practically invisible. Yumi and Ulrich's more colorful wardrobe were not as beneficial. Instead, they opted to take shelter in the store's doorway, which was not visible from the main street.

"Do you think it's still after us Ulrich?"

A series of loud footsteps answered Yumi's question for her.

_Thump_…

The bear was definitely still after them.

_Thump_!

And even worse...

_THUMP_!

It was close...

_THUMP_!

Really close...

_THUMP_!!

Until...

_THUMP_!!!

It was right in front of them. The bear halted its advance and began to scan the streets for any sign of its targets. Consumed by fear, Yumi and Ulrich embraced each other for comfort subconsciously. Realizing their current position, they let go of each other, a furious blush across their cheeks proved to be the only evidence of this event. They both looked outside and hoped that the bear would soon pass.

* * *

Objective failed, the bear thought to itself. Its two primary targets were lost in the streets. With its mission over the bear was about to give up its newfound power and return to its original size, until it recalled a specific statement. 

_"I hate them I HATE THEM ALL!"_

The bear analyzed this new tidbit of information and realized that the ENTIRE school was after its owner. He would go after the boy and girl later, after it dealt with the school. The bear walked away and began to wonder where a majority of the students would be on this Friday night.

* * *

Jin waited until the footsteps faded in the distance before stepping into the light once again. 

"I just dodge death from a giant teddy bear and have yet to ruin my suit. You have some serious skills man," Jin congratulated himself and noticed Yumi and Ulrich still in the doorway of the store and called them out.

"Come on out you lovebirds," he said jokingly.

Both Yumi and Ulrich blushed at the remark and walked over to an impatient looking Jin.

"It's not what you think Aniki."

"As much as I like to talk about your "relationships" now Yumi, I think a more appropriate question to ask is what should we do now?"

Ulrich put his two cents into the conversation. "We're going after it"

"ARE YOU FREKIN INSANE?! The last time I checked that thing was a huge as a building! We're gonna need a bear trap the size of Texas to stop that, that...that THING!"

"Look Aniki," Yumi said in order to calm him down. "This is the "serious trouble" that I was talking about in the letter. I can't tell you now but it's our job to stop it."

"Great. I leave for two years then all of a sudden my sister becomes the super hero of her hometown."

"I'm serious Aniki!"

"So am I. What should we do now?"

"Like I said before," Ulrich commented. "We gotta find its next target so we could evacuate the area."

"Save the world or go to prom, tough choice" Jin said as he branded his sarcasm into the situation.

As Jin said those words, Ulrich realized the significance of the attacks. This was Millie's teddy bear that was attacking them, not some mindless XANA-controlled drone. It must have shared the same thoughts and desires as its owner. All of the bear's victims committed some sort of crime against Milly. Sissi, Jim heck even himself and Yumi were all offenders in the bear's eye and now that Milly was not able to go to the prom, the bear might strike there next.

"Don't worry Jin, we'll get to do both tonight," Ulrich answered back.

"What do you mean?" Questioned Yumi, puzzled by his explanation.

"That bear's next target might be the prom dance at our school! We gotta get there to evacuate the area!"

Not wanting to be left out of the conversation, Jin joined in, "Ok, count me in guys. If we have to save some lives tonight, I want to be part of the action."

They soon ran back toward the school grounds determined to prevent a disaster from happening. If Jin saw the look on his sister's face, he would have seen a slight smile on her lips when he said those words.

* * *

"Laser Arrow!" Odd launched another barrage of arrows that just bounced off the tank's surface. His efforts were rewarded with another massive energy blast delivered by the tank. He was about to shoot another flurry of shots until Jérémie interrupted his plan of attack. 

"Odd you only have one shot left. Make it count!"

Odd awaited the tank's attack and squinted his eyes, knowing full well the extent of what failure would bring.

"Looks like I'm going to have to take this fight where he least expects it...right in his face," Odd said to himself as he prepared for his final assault.

* * *

"And I thought I was coming to school tonight to be a part of the group, not break it up," Yumi commented as the three made their way onto the campus. "So what's the plan Ulrich?" 

"Ok we have to both evacuate the auditorium and the dorms. That means we have to split up."

"Fine, I'll take the dorms," Yumi said they began to divide their duties.

"Then I'll head toward the auditorium," Ulrich said seeing no other alternative. "What about you Jin?"

"Hold it! Did you say that you're going to the auditorium?"

"Yes."

"If I may ask, that's where the prom is being held?"

"YES!" Ulrich was starting to get irritated by Jin's constant questions.

"Well if you need to get a lot of people's attention at a given moment, I'm your man."

"Ok, good luck you two. We're all gonna need it," were Yumi's parting words before she dashed off toward the dorms leaving the two boys behind.

"Ok Ulrich, lead the way."

Ulrich and Jin made their way inside and were both immediately overwhelmed with the sight the building contained. The auditorium was almost unrecognizable as it looked more like a posh dance club instead of a school building. Bright laser and strobe lights flashed across the room and the DJ began to play another song. Students danced in close proximity of each other and were in total bliss of the peril that they were in.

"Stay close to me, we got to see this though," Ulrich said as he surveyed the chaos around him. Jin on his part gave a nod of acceptance and followed in his footsteps.

Ulrich's mission was soon halted by a being more imposing than a giant teddy bear could ever be...Sissi.

"Well Ulrich, looks like Yumi and all your other friends have deserted you."

Ulrich took the moment to analyze Sissi's style of dress for the night for his own amusement. Well-dressed or not, Sissi in his way was still Sissi in his way.

"Sissi, can we talk later, I've got some important things to take care of." He forced his way past Sissi and the rest of her gang only to see Jim block his path.

"Geez Ulrich, could you have made an effort to dress up for the evening? Everyone else has! Oh, well…just have fun tonight. You look as if a disaster is going to happen."

Obviously, given Jim's current behavior, he had recovered from his attack and was back to his old self again and he was the type to follow his own advice. Jim's outfit was similar to Jin's minus the hat and that he was wearing a white shirt underneath his blazer. Ulrich turned around to talk to Jin so that the two could collaborate on a plan to evacuate the place but when he looked around him, he noticed that Jin was gone.

"Probably got separated by the crowd," Ulrich said to himself. "Looks like I'm flying solo tonight."

Ulrich looked around the area for any means of drawing attention to himself, and watched a few technicians set up various microphones for the competition later that night.

"I wonder..." and with that said Ulrich left the company of Sissi and Jim.

* * *

Truth be told, Ulrich was right; the crowd did separate him from Jin, leaving the boy alone in a sea of unfamiliar people. 

"Hump, looks like I got to go to Plan B," he uttered underneath his breath as he assessed his current situation.

Jin decided to use this time to execute his own plan. He had to find a way to get everyone's attention for a quick evacuation. He searched for the one tool that could help him, the school's fire alarm near the stage. He took special note of it when he was setting up ladders just in case he needed it and it looks like this was an appropriate situation to use this knowledge. Jin patiently waited for the right moment to pull it so that it would not look like a childish prank.

* * *

Things were much easier for Yumi. Thanks to the prom, almost all the dorms in the school were empty. Well mostly all of them. The voices of its two occupants echoed across the hallway and allowed Yumi to track their location. She approached the door and opened it to reveal Milly and Tamiya. 

"What are you two doing here? Don't you have a news story to shoot?"

"Well we did, until Jim grounded us for tonight when he saw that we were in the garden shed" replied Milly who was still depressed after all the unfortunate events that had happened to her.

"We have to get outside, NOW!"

"But we can't," Tamiya protested. "Jim said we have to stay in our dorms."

"Listen girls we have to get outside now. This is a matter of life or death!"

The two girls headed Yumi's words of warning seeing how she wasn't the type to lie to others. The three of them headed outside.

* * *

The principal was happy with the turnout despite the chaotic events of the day. The dance was running along smoothly and now it was time to crown this year's prom queen in the yearly pageant. He secretary hoped that his daughter would win so it could make up for having her room destroyed by an unknown assailant. The contestants made their way to the stage and he followed suit grabbing a microphone on his way up. 

"It is now time for you to choose the student among these three who has the perfect combination of beauty, personality, poise and sincerity to be our next prom queen. Our first contestant, the current queen herself, Sissi!"

* * *

Sissi stepped forward and was applauded by an odd combination of claps, howls and cat calls. She adored the attention that she was receiving and secretary hoped that it would never end. Unfortunately for her, there were some people watching who did not share her desire. 

"Sincerity!" Jin exclaimed. "Sheesh, she's sincere all right, especially after her little talk with Milly."

Jin's thoughts were cut off by a voice that echoed toward the stage.

"STOP!"

The audience turned their heads toward the direction of the voice only to see Ulrich standing on a table holding a microphone.

"We have to evacuate the building."

The audience was confused by his request and saw no reason why to acknowledge his request.

"Don't panic."

Still no response.

"Listen guys, I'm not kidding when I'm saying this, but we're about to be attacked by a giant teddy bear."

"AHA I KNEW IT!" Jim yelled at the top his lungs. "Don't worry Ulrich, I saw it too. They thought I was crazy when I told them about it but it looks like_ we're _the only sane individuals around here!"

Jim's testimony did little to persuade the crowd into leaving the building. Jin watched from the comfort of the stage and was standing near the fire alarm.

"Ah the direct approach," he chuckled to himself. "Although it's easy to execute, you might not get the desired results seeing how people are expecting it." Jin quoted one of his old Sensei's philosophies on fighting. "Next time, use a method that's a little more unorthodox."

Jin saw how everyone's attention was focused on Ulrich which prompted him to act. He clasped the alarm's handle and pulled down on the leaver. The alarm siren's high-pitched wail pierced through the air and caught everyone's attention instantly. The principal was still calm and collected and spoke into his microphone.

"Okay students; let's leave the building in a clam and orderly fashion."

Ulrich was confused by the sight he was seeing turned toward the fire alarm and saw Jin standing by it. Jin raised the thumbs up sign to let Ulrich know that he was the perpetrator of this too bad for him Sissi too saw this exchange.

"WAIT!" She bellowed stopping the student's evacuation.

"Sissi, what's the meaning of this?" Asked her father in a stern voice wondering why his own daughter would halt the evacuation. "This is an emergency!"

"But that's the thing father it's not! Yumi's brother pulled the alarm!"

"Crud," Jin cursed underneath his breath.

The principal looked over to Jim and gave give a nod. Jim on his part walked over to the emergency cutoff switch to silence the alarm. As suddenly as it turned on, the alarm's wail was no longer audible as Jin cursed himself for not being discreet enough. An irate Sissi snatched the microphone from her father's hand and began to chew the entire student body's heads off.

"You fools, don't you see that this was just a prank pulled by Ulrich and our new student here to prevent ME from wining for a second year! I'm mean, are we listening to the same story here?! Giant teddy bears, why not King Kong? At least with that story we get a creature that's remotely scary."

No sooner did she finish her lecture the entire building began to shake.

"This is bad," Ulrich thought to himself knowing full well the cause of the vibrations.

* * *

This time it was going to succeed. This time it would get its targets for sure. This indeed was a perfect spot to attack, all these helpless students confined to such a small area where they could be taken out in a single blow. And as a special bonus all of its previous targets were there also. The egotistic girl, the imposing, portly man and even the boy who killed its owner's hopes this morning. All of these individuals will be dealt with. Slowly it made its way to the stage to begin its plan. 

"The reason why King Kong wasn't attacking tonight was because he doesn't like to work on Fridays!" Jin exclaimed as he watched the bear make its way onto the stage. He took one glance behind him to see how the other students were doing. He was relieved to see that they took the bear's entrance as a cue to get out of the building but was horrified to see Sissi paralyzed with fear. The bear decided to attack Sissi again but this time instead of just simply destroying her room, it opted to crush her like an insect. Even though he and Sissi were not on good terms with one another, he couldn't just stand there and watch her get killed. He said he was going to help save lives tonight and now it looks like he's finally going to get his chance.

Ulrich couldn't really pay attention to the stage at the given moment since he was too busy trying to dodge the onslaught of people running in his direction. Even Jim was running in fear as the sight of the bear reminded him of his attack just hours earlier. When the auditorium was finally cleared of students, it was then he finally saw what was going on. Realizing the danger the two of them were in, Ulrich too rushed toward the stage.

Sissi could not move. She was staring face to face with death personified as a gigantic stuffed foot. She didn't want to die right now, not on HER night, HER night of glory. She still had so much left to do in life. She silently accepted her fate knowing that she'll never have the chance to profess her love to the object of her desire. She bowed her head and waited for her end.

* * *

"Not on my watch!" Jin yelled to the bear as he made his way toward Sissi, shoving her out of the way of the bear's foot and putting himself in her place. Jin quickly dived out of the foot's way just in the nick of time as he saw it collide with the stage's floor sending chucks of wooded debris in the air. The force of the stomp combined with his dive propelled Jin through the air and off the stage. Seeing that his free fall was going to end, Jin turned his body so that his back could absorb the impact. He landed on the floor hard, and had the wind knocked out of him while a wave of pain shot through his body. Sissi quickly ran to his aid in an effort to pay him back for just saving her life just moments earlier. 

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Jin screamed which halted Sissi's advance.

"Are you crazy?! You're injured and that bear is going to kill you! You need help!"

"Listen, Sissi. I can take care of myself. Just get the heck out of here."

Sissi did what she was told but despite Jin's words, she still felt worried about leaving him behind.

* * *

Yumi could only watch in horror as the giant bear made its way inside. The overall shock the sight held froze her dead in her tracks along with Milly and Tamiya. She remained almost motionless like that until she heard her name called out. 

"YUMI!"

Yumi turned in the direction of the mysterious voice and saw Sissi running toward her.

"Sissi, what's wrong?"

"It's your brother."

"Aniki!"

"Yes, he saved me from a gigantic teddy bear when it tried to step on me. It almost killed him, but he managed to jump out of the way but he fell off the stage as a result!"

"Is he alive?!"

"Yes, but he's injured pretty badly."

After hearing those words, Yumi ran to the double doors to try to help her brother.

* * *

"I've had better days," Jin said to himself as he lay on the floor. Soon he saw Ulrich loom over him. 

"Need a hand?" Ulrich said as he extended his arm to help Jin up.

"Look, I'm fine, but I'll take you up on your offer anyway."

Jin grabbed Ulrich's hand thus allowing him to stand up. However, he was in no condition to walk right now as he struggled just to stay on his feet.

"You're a bad liar Jin. You are_ far_ from ok. We need get you to the hospital."

"Thanks, look I'll pay you back for this in the near future if we get out of this predicament alive. I promise."

Yumi threw the massive doors wide open and was horrified with the sight she saw. Jin used Ulrich for support as the two boys made their way outside. Unfortunately for them, the bear was still not finished with its reign of destruction. It jumped off the stage and made another earth shaking thud which caught the attention of Ulrich and Jin. The bear then saw a small foldable chair in the middle of the room and struck with its arm sending it flying toward Ulrich.

"Looks like I just got my chance!" Jin yelled as he saw the chair fly through the air in their direction.

Using the last bit of strength he could muster Jin threw Ulrich off of him and placed himself in harm's way once again. The chair's flat side connected with his back and unleashed a horrible noise upon impact.

CRACK!

Jin was sent flying his body twisting in midair from the sheer force of the attack. Both Yumi and Ulrich watched wide-eyed at the entire fiasco and became concerned with his safety. In one night, Jin risked his life twice and on both occasions, he took a beating as a consequence for his bravery.

"JIN!" Yumi screamed out as she rushed to the aid of her brother. Ulrich saw the danger the two were in and decided to buy them some time. Picking up the same chair that struck Jin, he hurled it toward the teddy bear to get its attention. He was not disappointed.

Only through the effects of adrenaline and willpower was Jin still conscience after the abuse he received moments ago. The two attacks he received were starting to take their toll on him. His vision started to blur and he could barely move his body at all. He turned his head to the side as saw his beloved sister make her way toward him.

"Jin, we gotta get you out of here!" Yumi said as she propped up her brother against a nearby table.

"Don't worry about me sis, I can take care of myself."

"You're a REAL bad liar Aniki."

"Ulrich said the same exact thing before too. If I were you, I'd run away. I'm pretty safe here."

"I'M SERIOUS! You just fell off the school's stage and took a steel chair to the back! YOU ARE NOT SAFE!"

"Look, Yumi" Jin let out a small cough it was getting harder for him to speak to his sister as he struggled to get his words out. "That chair was meant for Ulrich, he's the one who's in danger."

No sooner did he finish that statement, Yumi looked over toward Ulrich for reassurance, only to see the bear swat him with its massive arm.

"ULRICH!" She screamed out.

"Go to him. Obviously, he needs your help more that I do."

"But what about you, Jin?"

"That's not important! Go help Ulrich! NOW!"

* * *

"Ok XANA hit me with your best shot!" Odd taunted the tank. 

If Mega Tanks could talk at that moment, they would say something like "Oh yeah" or "Well here it is!" but seeing that the tank could not say anything like that, it just answered Odd's remark with another energy blast which was exactly what he wanted.

"Ok gotta time this right Odd, the fate of the world depends on it."

Odd ran forward and jumped at the tank at the same time its blast impacted against the wall. The force of the shot propelled Odd even further and allowed him to jump on the tank. Using its, spherical shape to his advantage, Odd rolled the tank toward his direction thus exposing its weak point. He fired his last arrow into the target's center and jumped away from the tank to avoid its explosion.

"Ok Aelita, do your stuff."

Aelita soon disappeared into the wall and found herself in the all-too-familiar insides of a tower. The outer rings of the XANA symbol began to light up to acknowledge her presence while she brought up a small screen and entered the usual information.

AELITA

* * *

Ulrich lay on the floor battered and bruised. He had a hard enough time trying to sit up let alone run away. He watched in horror as the bear raised its arm again, preparing for another strike that he was powerless in stopping. All of a sudden, his vision of the bear was blocked as he was currently being embraced by Yumi who was shielding his body with here own. 

"Now it's my turn to help," she whispered into his ear before she prepared for the worst.

* * *

Now it was going to succeed. Nothing was going to stand in its way as it was about to eliminate two of its targets in a single strike. He raised its arm, knowing full well it was going to relish this moment.

* * *

CODE

* * *

"NOOO! SIS!" Jin screamed out as he watched the bear draw back its arm he slowly crawled his way toward Yumi and Ulrich. With every pull he squeezed from his injured body he felt another jolt of pain shoot through his system which almost caused him to pass out from the shock. He ignored his body's pleas for him to stop as he inched his way over toward the couple in danger. The bear's arm halted its accent and soon came crashing down on Yumi and Ulrich who were currently cowering in fear. 

"I'M TOO LATE!"

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

Jin shielded his eyes to prevent himself from seeing the gory scene that he was about to see. However, it never came. He didn't hear his sister's screams or any other sounds in that matter. Jin removed his hands from his eyes to see the entire scene before him in some sort of suspended animation but he was able to move freely. This revelation was soon followed by Yumi and Ulrich exchanging a hug and Ulrich saying a particular phrase that Jin could not comprehend. 

"Ready to return to the past, Yumi?" Ulrich asked as the entire auditorium was engulfed by an almost angelic white light. Still wrapped in Yumi's arms he looked across the room at Jin's body and was surprised to see that he was still crawling toward them.

"Wait a minute," he thought to himself. "If Jin is able to move now then..." he was unable to complete his thought as he found himself in the past once again.

* * *

Ulrich found himself inside the auditorium holding a cardboard box instead of Yumi in his arms. He was slightly disappointed after seeing this but he could not dwell on this subject any longer since Milly had an important question to ask him. 

"Would...you mind going with...me...to the dance?"

Ulrich was once again confronted by a hopeful look in her eyes but this time, he was going to make amends. He set down his box and walked up toward her.

"Of course I would Milly. I'll meet you here and eight 'o' clock sharp. You're all right with this Yumi?"

"Don't worry Ulrich, I think my secret admirer Odd will take me tonight.

Only one person was not happy with Ulrich's sudden change of heart.

"Wha…HOW COULD YOU! She's so young and you're...but it...I...ARRRG!"

Sissi could barely keep her thoughts together as they spilled out in a hodgepodge of stutters, screams and incomplete sentences. Her situation did not improve as an unknown figure stepped out of the doorway's shadow.

"Geez, take a chill pill. It's like what the Chinese say, one second of anger is one year off your life."

"Look I have no time to discuss philosophy with a complete stranger."

"Then allow me to introduce myself. Jin Ishiyama, at your service."

"Look Sissi," Ulrich called out to her "Milly might be younger than you, but when your brain finally grows to her size, I'll consider going out with you."

Sissi had enough. Before she could take any more shots to her ego, she stormed out of the room followed closely by her two cronies.

"Hey Jin!" His sister called out to him.

"Aw man. Looks like you found out my surprise visit today."

"Yep, Mom wasn't really too keen on keeping secrets. Well I'd like to introduce you to my friends. The fellow in the glasses is..."

"I know, that's Jérémie, the purple one over there is Odd and the quiet individual dressed in green is Ulrich."

Jin surprised himself when he finished the introductions for his sister. For some reason he knew all of his sister's friends, even though he never met them before. Heck, this entire conversation was familiar to him, but he just couldn't pinpoint the reason, it was like he was here before, but that was impossible.

"Hey Jin, can you help me set up those ladders?" Ulrich asked.

"Sure."

The five of them made their way into the work site to resume their duties. After Jin helped set up the ladders, he saw Ulrich climb on two ladders and placed a bucket of paint on top of them.

"Now why did you do that?" Jin asked perplexed by his actions.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Ulrich saw out of the corner of his eye Clayton and Dirk walking toward them. Knowing full well the consequences of their previous meeting, Ulrich handed a sheet of metal to Jin.

"Here, hold this for me."

"Huh?"

"You'll thank me later."

"Well what do you know, Yumi has a twin brother," Clayton spat at Jin.

"You got a problem with my sister?" Jin answered back coolly.

"Nope," Dirk commented. "But we got a problem with you. You see, we have a special welcoming "gift" for all the new kids, and I think its time you received it."

"Hazing the new kid, eh?" Jin chuckled. "Just make sure you don't fry your brain cell when you try to remember the process."

Clayton was furious. "WHY, YOU LITTLE—!"

For some reason Jin was expecting an attack from the large student. Using the sheet of metal given to him by Ulrich Jin blocked Clayton's punch and did a fine number on his fist. He watched Clayton scream in pain and expected another from his thinner friend. However, Dirk opted to just kick the ladder that was closets to him. But where he expected to cause a destructive chain reaction, instead both he and his companion got a large bucket fell on them covering its two victims in a thick coat of blue paint.

"YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS OUTFIT COSTS! TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!" Dirk screamed out.

"Awww," Ulrich joined in, impressed with his handiwork "The little monkey knows how to count."

"Nice kick Papa Smurf, looks like you still got some life in your old body," Jin continued the verbal abuse rubbing salt into Clayton and Dirk's open wounds.

The two boys left the building in a humiliated defeat chased by the laughter of the other students. The five friends soon joined in on the laugh and continued with their assigned duties. Although another disaster had been averted and the sins of the day were repented, for Jin, his journey was only beginning.

END

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter:**

Yeah I know this chapter was REALLY long 58 pages if you want to be exact. The reason why this story was so long was the fact that the first episode of Code Lyoko had SO much information in it. I decided to write this fic was because I noticed a stereotypical trend concerning new characters. The usual story is that they're a new student who just happens to stumble upon the factory and is later inducted into their group. I wanted to change that aspect with Jin…by having him go through a natural process to gain the group's trust. In case you're wondering, yes I do know that Jin is a Chinese name even though the character is Japanese, that aspect of him will be explained in later chapters of the fic.

I was partly inspired by the other well-written stories for Code Lyoko such as "Mayhem Squared" and "Oy Thy Brave Mercutio". I just hope my story can measure up to those to great works of art. The reason why I made Jin Yumi's brother was for two reasons. First of all, I did not want to write a love triangle between Jin, Yumi and Ulrich. Second, through the way he interacts with his sister, the audience gets a better view of his personality. I'm not that good with creating new characters so I did base some aspects of Jin off of my own personality however, I made sure to give Jin some SERIOUS flaws and not make him an all-powerful ACC. I hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter for I have many more to write. Please leave a review for me so I know what direction I need to go to satisfy the reader's needs.


	2. Episode 1 Cont: Deja Vu

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own Code Lyoko so I can't charge money for this and even if I could, nobody would ever read this fic. So yeah please don't sue me oh great creators.

**Special Thanks:**

Thank you for taking a massive amount of free time to read my first chapter despite its length. I appreciate that fact and I would also like to thank all the people who left reviews for me letting me know that my work is well received. Those little words of encouragement go a long way.

I'd like to go out of my way to thank these reviewers.

**Trillinka: **I'm flattered that I'm one of your favorite authors. Now I know that I got someone watching over my back to make sure I don't write a bunch of crap.

**Mornstar: **For showing me that the Wizard of Odd line was indeed funny and pointing out some misspellings of the character's names

**Dr. Thinker: **Because of his review, I've revamped Dirk & Clayton's characterization so they don't just feel like carbon copy bullies like Bulk & Skull

Now on with the story...

* * *

Original Episode 1.5: Deja Vu's Recruit

Yumi tossed and turned in her sleep and woke in a cold sweat. She looked at her alarm clock and read its digital display.

6:30 A.M.

"Just great," she said to herself. "The one day I get to sleep in. I can't. Oh well might as well start my day right now."

Yumi walked over to the bathroom to freshen up. She could still hear the loud music in her mind as she struggled to shake the after effects of prom from her subconscious. She was glad that today was Saturday for she knew she was going to need the entire day to recover. She made her way down stairs and saw an unfamiliar shadow in the kitchen. Thinking of the worst, she leapt into the room and faced the hostile stranger.

The figure in the shadows made no effort to defend himself or even retaliate. Instead, the stranger just pressed the stop button on his CD player and lowered the cup of tea he was currently drinking.

"You know, most people just greet each other with a simple good morning," Jin said slightly amused with his sister's actions.

"Jin?"

"The one and only. Who do you think I was, some sort of robber?"

"Well...ummm," Yumi stammered embarrassed at the fact that she almost attacked her twin brother. It was an honest mistake, it was his first day home and Yumi wasn't used to seeing_ anyone_ awake at such an early hour.

"Least your skills are still sharp. How's master Fong?" Jin asked, curious of the well being of his former martial arts teacher during his two-year absence.

"Sifu is all right."

"That's good to hear."

"So Jin, what time did you wake up?"

"Five-thirty."

Yumi was speechless, her brother had less sleep than her and yet he sounded bright and alert. "Don't you ever sleep?" The confused Japanese girl asked.

"I'm a light sleeper, and I kinda had a rough night." Jin gestured to the teapot that he prepared for the morning. "Tea, Yumi, You look drained, some green tea will help calm you down."

"Thanks Aniki."

Yumi poured the tea into the tiny ceramic cup and began to drink it slowly. She felt the warm liquid flow down her throat and into her body leaving behind a feeling of tranquility on her face. Yumi looked up at her brother and saw that he was not as bright and cheery as she initially thought. A ray of sunlight brushed across his face and she saw that he was both wearing his school clothes and a haggard look in his eyes but he was trying his best to hide it from her. It was a common pattern of behavior for him, holding in his own suffering so that others could prosper before him. He was always had everyone's back even while knowing full well that no one was looking out for him.

Yumi tried to start another conversation with her brother, "So Jin, how was your first day back home?"

"I...Ah forget it sis. It's kinda stupid for me to tell you."

"Oh come on Jin, I'm your sister. You can tell me anything."

Jin relented to his sister's request and began to speak. "Ever since I came here, I had this weird feeling of Deja Vu. However, this feeling did not go away in a moment, but it lasted for almost then entire day. It was like...It was like I lived this entire day before. Like I traveled back in time or something like that. I mean I already knew the names of your friends without meeting them before and I had a feeling that those two punks were going to attack me."

"What about the prom?"

"That's the funny thing. When we arrived at prom, the feeling stopped as if the day truly began at that moment."

"You had fun there didn't you. Those kids were really impressed with your dancing especially Odd after he battled you. Breakdancing verses...um what_ was _your dance style anyway Jin?"

"Michael Jackson"

Yumi was only vaguely familiar with the famous American singer from the 80s and her questions illustrated that aspect of her. "That was really cool when you did that move where it looked like you were walking forwards but you moved backwards. What is it called?"

"It's called the Moonwalk and yeah I did have fun."

"So I take it that everything after prom went by as usual?"

"Nope."

"What happened?"

"It was while I was sleeping..."

"Let me guess, you had a bad dream."

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"You're drinking green tea"

"And..."

"When you were living in America, Mother used to tell me stories about you when you were seven. She said you were a very fearful child and got nightmares all the time. Then one day she got this idea and had you drink green tea saying that it was a magic potion that would make all the bad dreams go away. You slept like a baby that night."

"Humph, that was supposed to be our little secret."

"Well it's like what I said yesterday. Mom isn't too keen on keeping secrets."

"Yeah, even when I did find out that it was all a clever trick, for some reason I didn't care. I still kept drinking green tea when I felt bad. Even when I was living in America, I made sure to pack plenty of tea with me. Every time I drank it I feel like mom was with me, inside me, still protecting me, still near my heart."

"That's sweet Aniki. So what was your dream about?"

"If you thought my day was weird then you're in for a shock when I tell you about my dream."

"Go on"

"I dreamt that you, me and Ulrich were being chased by a giant teddy bear out to destroy us and the students at prom."

Yumi was shocked when she heard about Jin's dream. The process that Jeremie was talking about really did work. "Looks like Jeremie came through after all," she muttered underneath her breath.

"Huh? What about Jeremie?"

"Nothing."

"Whatever. The thing about that dream was that it felt so _real_. I remember in my dream I saved both Sissi and Ulrich's life but I took a tremendous pounding from the bear."

"That's my Aniki, always making himself the hero."

"I'm serious sis. I swear I could feel the pain when I fell off the stage to save Sissi's life every thud, every bone that was about to crack, every minute of suffering that I experienced, I can still remember in vivid detail."

"How did it end?"

"Well you and Ulrich were hugging and..." Jin stopped his statement when he saw a slight blush spread across her sister's face. "Not again."

"It's nothing Aniki, continue," a slightly embarrassed Yumi replied.

"Well the bear just froze in its tracks and I saw a bright light then I woke up." Jin analyzed the conversation and looked at the expression on his sister's face before giving off a sigh of despair. "You think I'm crazy don't you?" Jin said as he lowered his head onto the table. Even he himself couldn't believe what he was saying, giant teddy bears, long periods of Deja Vu, he _had_ to be going crazy. That or there was something deeper going on that he was not aware of.

"Actually no."

Jin was surprised. Was this his assumptions being proved true, or was this his sister just being supportive. His only reply was a bewildered look on his face as he continued to listen to Yumi's explanation.

"Look Jin. All of this must be in your head. I've told you about my friends before so that's why you know their names."

Yumi knew this was a flat out lie since the only friend she really told Jin about was Ulrich though she had to keep the charade going to but the boy's worries at ease." And the reason why you knew that Clayton was going to punch you was because you've been training in the martial arts for as long as I have and that was just your battle instincts kicking in."

"And my dream?"

"Just a simple nightmare."

"I don't know sis, the answer you gave me makes sense, but for some reason it just doesn't _feel_ right. Look I'm going out for a walk to clear my head. If Mom and Dad ask where I am, tell them I went to the school to look around the campus." Jin grabbed his book bag and walked out of the door, "Bye sis. Oh and if you need me, I have the cell phone you gave me. Thanks again."

Yumi watched Jin leave the Ishiyama household and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Little did Jin know how close he came to uncovering the actual truth. She sat in the kitchen in complete silence still drinking the tea that Jin made and began to think about her plan.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to move on to phase three sooner than I expected. I just hope the others will forgive me for what I've done yesterday." She looked at the clock and read the time.

7:30 A.M.

She couldn't believe that she was in the kitchen for an entire hour and the fact that her parents were still sleeping.

"Hmmm, they must have had a rough night like us," she deduced. "Well" she said cracking her knuckles like how her brother always does. "No use sitting here, I have a plan to execute."

Yumi returned to her room and got dressed. After changing into her black sweater, boots and pants she returned to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. Buttered toast was the meal of the morning and she wasted no time in finishing her simple breakfast. Before she left the house she grabbed a nearby notepad and scribbled a quick note for her parents.

* * *

_Dear Mom and Dad, _

_I've decided to show Jin around town so he doesn't get lost. Two years can really mess with someone's sense of direction. If you need us, just call our cell phones. Don't worry about breakfast, we already ate before we left and we didn't want to disturb you. _

_Your Loving Daughter,  
Yumi_

_

* * *

_

Yumi attached the note to the refrigerator with the aid of a magnet and proceeded with her plan. She pulled out her cell phone and hoped that her friends weren't too attached to their dreams, for they were about to receive a rude awakening.

* * *

Ulrich's cell phone was kept in near-perfect condition. Everything, from the screen to the phone's number pad was in optimum shape. Ulrich kept his phone like this not because he was materialistic or anything like that. He kept it like that since he knew that his phone had to be in working order at all times in case of an emergency. With that said, it was no surprise to hear its high pitch ring echo across his dorm demanding his immediate attention. Everything was in order for him to pick up his phone...except for one slight problem. Although the electronic device was working and ready to be answered by Ulrich, there was no Ulrich to answer the phone. It wasn't that he was missing or anything of that sort. He was safe inside his bed sleeping the rest of the day away without a care in the world. He just couldn't hear it. You see, having Odd as his roommate yielded several benefits. For one, he got to spend more time with his best friend and that was always a plus but he wasn't the best person to share a room with. It could be said that Odd skipped a few classes in "Roommate Etiquette 101" and kinda dropped the subject before he could learn some of the finer points of sharing a room with another human being. Those lessons being how_ not_ to snore so loudly to the point where your friend has to wear earplugs to sleep every night. Fortunately, the phone's rings did not go unnoticed in the dorm as Odd was able to hear the machine loud and clear. He picked up Ulrich's phone and pressed it against his ear.

"Hello Ulrich," came a female voice from the other line which Odd instantly recognized as Yumi's.

"This isn't him, but guess who it is. I'll give you a hint. He has the letters O, D and D in his name." Even though most of his mental senses were dulled due to his premature awakening, Odd sill had enough sense to make a wise crack at this hour.

"Real funny Odd," Yumi chuckled on the other line. "Can you put Ulrich on now?"

"Sure thing."

Odd walked over to Ulrich's sleeping form and thought of a way he could wake him up. He instantly ruled out loud noises since that would wake up the entire floor. He had to be creative with this situation.

"Of course...duh" Odd said to himself as he thought of his idea. The boy walked over to his dresser, cell phone still in hand, and crouched low to gain access to the bottom drawer. Grabbing the curved metal handles, he slid the drawer open and revealed an equally tired Kiwi resting on top of his old clothes which were now being used as a makeshift mattress for the small dog. Kiwi was roused from his gentle slumber by Odd who was currently petting him to try to wake him. Kiwi gave Odd his usual greeting, which was mainly a licking his face and a demand to be fed. Odd then used Kiwi's hunger to his advantage. Placing one of Kiwi's favorite treats on Ulrich's forehead, Odd sat backs and waited for the fruits of his labor. Kiwi wasted no time ingesting the doggie treat and was licking Ulrich's forehead dry in an effort to claim any flavor that was lost during the time that his owner placed the treat and him running toward his target in anticipation.

There are a lot of things a human being would have a hard time sleeping through: loud noises, physical blows and of course, having a small dog licking your face. Ulrich awoke and rubbed his eyes so he could better focus on his surroundings. Kiwi ran into Odd's arms and was rewarded with a satisfying belly rub for a job well done. Ulrich removed his precious ear plugs while Odd turned his back on him thus leaving Odd ignorant of his "sleeping aid." Ulrich saw no rhyme or reason for his sudden awakening by Kiwi's hands and wanted an answer.

"Odd," Ulrich asked. "It's Saturday and I'm trying to sleep. What's the big idea of having your dog wake me up?"

"Yumi," Odd answered nonchalantly.

"Yumi?"

"Yep, she's on the other line and wants to speak to you so if you wanna blame someone, blame her." Odd handed Ulrich's cell phone back to him and prepared himself for an "interesting" conversation.

"Hi Ulrich," Yumi's cheery voice provided a heavy contrast to Ulrich's lethargic state of mind.

"Yumi, do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah, it's seven thirty-five."

"It's Saturday Yumi. What are you doing up this early?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Just drink a warm glass of milk or something like that because I know that I'm having no trouble what so ever in performing that task."

"I don't that's possible Ulrich."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't find a glass of milk from where I'm standing. Look out your window."

Confused by her request, Ulrich looked out his window and was surprised to see Yumi standing outside.

"Well I can see why."

"Ulrich, I need to talk to all three of you RIGHT now. It's REALLY important."

"We'll be there in five minutes, just be patient."

"Thanks Ulrich."

Ulrich turned off his cell phone and proceeded to drag this tired body out outside.

"Just where do you think y_ou're _going" Odd asked, halting his friend's advance.

"Outside to meet Yumi," he answered back frankly.

"Dressed like that!"

"Huh?"

"You must be sleepier than I thought. Look at yourself. If you go outside dressed like that you're gonna freeze your shorts off, literally. Though I do think Yumi wouldn't mind. In fact, she might approve of it," Odd said snickering at his own joke.

Ulrich looked down at his attire and saw the truth in Odd's words. He was still dressed in his sleep attire, which, of course, was not a very modest outfit, only consisting of a sleeveless white shirt and green shorts. Silently thanking Odd for his prevention of a social disaster, Ulrich got dressed.

"So Odd," Ulrich spoke while tying his shoelaces. "How was your solo mission in Lyoko? It must have gone well seeing how we're all in one piece."

"It was crazy Ulrich," Odd said with a bewildered look in his eyes. "I had to fight XANA's monsters, look out for Aelita, search for a hidden activated tower AND make sure that I didn't lose too many life points. So many responsibilities and no one to share them with."

"Maybe that would teach you not to be so gung ho about volunteering yourself for another one. On a lighter note Odd, thanks."

"Thanks?"

"If it wasn't for you, I think Yumi and I would have been pancakes and part of the gym's floor."

"Wow. The bear got _that_ big?"

Ulrich answered Odd's question with a simple nod.

"So..,"Odd quickly changed the subject. "Who's gonna get Jeremie?"

"I'll take care of him" Ulrich said as he walked toward the door, fully dressed this time.

"Do you wanna take Kiwi with you to wake him up?"

"Naw, it there's _anyone_ awake at this moment, it's most definitely him."

* * *

"So Jeremie, did Yumi's brother do well last night?" Aelita asked still curious about the prospects of the potential fighter.

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know. Ulrich and Yumi were too tired to give me all the details after we returned to the past."

"What about you? Do you think we should tell him about Lyoko and XANA?"

"In my honest opinion, I'm really worried about the whole subject matter."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's a major step to induct another member into our group so soon. Don't get me wrong, Jin is a great guy. Anyone who could both put Sissi in her place AND rough up Clayton and Dirk like that is a OK in my book."

"Then why?"

"It's like what I told Yumi yesterday. We have a hard enough time keeping it a secret among the four of us. Do you know how many times Odd has almost blown our cover with his loud mouth? If we take in another person, it would only make our situation more difficult."

"But what about the last XANA attack? Maybe if we had another person, Odd wouldn't have been fighting by himself."

"You raise a good point Aelita but this is not a decision for me to make alone. I need to talk with everyone before we can press the issue any further."

As if on cue, Jeremie heard three quick rasps on his door followed by a voice on the other end.

"Jeremie, you awake in there?" Ulrich asked unsure of his friend's current state of conscience.

"The door's open, come in," Jeremie answered back.

Ulrich stepped into Jeremie's dorm and closed the door behind him.

"Morning Jeremie. Morning Aelita."

"Morning," the two of them said in unison.

"Yumi just called, she said she wanted to talk to all of us outside ASAP"

"ASAP?" Aelita asked confused by the foreign word.

Jeremie swiveled his chair to face his virtual friend. "As soon as possible, it's an anagram. Humans sometimes like to just take the first letter of longer phrases and put them together to make shorter ones."

"I understand Jeremie."

Jeremie turned away from his computer screen to face Ulrich once more. "Any particular reason why?"

"She wasn't too specific but she did say it was REALLY important for all of us to meet together."

Jeremie was now wearing a worried look on his face. "Looks like the cat is out of the bag," he mumbled to himself.

"What was that Jeremie?"

Jeremie quickly thought of an answer for the strange behavior he was showing. "Just going over a few codes for my materialization program in my head. Guess it kind of slipped out."

Ulrich was really not in the mood to talk about computer programs and left the issue alone. Suddenly Odd entered the room drawing the attention of all its occupants.

"So" Odd spoke realizing that he had full command of the room's focus. "Are we going outside to meet Yumi or not?"

His words got the desired effect as he saw Jeremie and Ulrich walk toward his direction and out the door.

"So any idea what this meeting is all about?" Asked Ulrich still a little upset that his sleep was interrupted.

"Oh goodie a meeting," Odd said throwing his sarcasm into the mix. "I hope there's plenty of doughnuts. I'm starving."

"Good old Odd," Jeremie commented. "Always thinking about food. I swear, sometimes I think that your brain is in your stomach instead of your head."

"Hey!" Odd exclaimed slightly offended by Jeremie's pot shot to his ego. "It's not my fault that I'm always hungry. I'm a growing boy."

"He's right Jeremie," Ulrich joined in. "If Odd keeps eating like that, he'd start growing...sideways. Hope you could still fit in the scanners Odd. We do still need your help in Lyoko."

The three boys all shared in the laughter at Ulrich's joke and continued on their way outside.

* * *

Yumi was a little bit nervous about this meeting as she paced back and forth formulating the perfect answer in her head. Sure she had good intentions with her plan but it still didn't feel right. She used some underhanded tactics to get Jin to come home and she concealed her motives from Ulrich and Odd. She just hoped that her dishonesty would not come back to haunt her, undoing all her work within a blink of an eye. She turned her head sideways and saw the boys make their way down the stairs toward her.

"Ok Yumi" she said to herself in an attempt to psyche herself up. "It's now or never." She took a seat on a nearby bench and awaited their arrival.

Ulrich was still sleepy as he walked over to the bench that Yumi was currently sitting on.

"Hey Yumi," he said with his eyes half-opened.

"Umm...hello Ulrich," she returned his greeting with downcast eyes.

"What's wrong Yumi? You look like you got a lot on your mind," Odd asked now concerned about the well being of his friend.

"That's the thing Odd, I do."

Odd turned around and saw the Jeremie was also wearing the same uneasy look that Yumi had but was unable to make the connection between them. "Do you mind telling us then?"

Yumi took in a deep breath and prepared for the worst, "Ok guys listen up." The three boys leaned a little closer to her after her statement. "I was wondering," she struggled to get her request out. "I was wondering...if..."

Odd tried his best to be as supportive as he could. "It's ok Yumi, go on, tell us."

Mustering all the courage she could, Yumi finally blurted her answer in one breath. "I was wondering if Jin could be a part of our group!"

Ulrich was no longer sleepy as those words hit him like a cold glass of water. His eyes instantly opened as the question began to sink in.

"What do you mean Yumi?" He asked, still dumbfounded by her request.

"Well you see...I was thinking...," Yumi still stammered through her statement. All of the replies, all of the answers she originally thought of instantly dissolved from her memory leaving her with a gaping void where her explanations used to be. Ulrich placed his hand on her shoulder to help calm her down.

"Its ok Yumi," he said in a reassuring voice. "Just take a deep breath and relax." Yumi looked into his eyes and felt a sense of inner peace begin to form inside of her. Her shoulders lost all their tension as she took in another deep breath.

"Yumi," Ulrich said calmly. "Let's start from the beginning. What did you want to ask us?"

Yumi used her breath to collect herself and to formulate her answer. "I was thinking about letting Jin in on our fight against XANA."

"Now wait a minute Yumi," Ulrich said, still maintaining his collected composer. "This is a pretty tall order that your asking us to fill out." Ulrich turned around as saw Jeremie's worried expression. "How about you Jer. Is there something you need to tell us?"

Jeremie buckled underneath Ulrich's icy stare. "Ok Ulrich, I'll tell. Yesterday, Yumi approached me with that same request. At first I declined saying that there was too much of a risk, until she told me of her safety plan."

"Safety plan?"

"Yumi asked me if there was a way for her brother to remember a XANA attack after a return to the past trip but vaguely enough to think that it never happened."

"Is that even possible?"

"Yes Ulrich it is. All you have to do is enter some of the individual's basic information into the factory's computer. The only way you could remember the attacks in their entirety is if you actually have a character for Lyoko already programed into the mainframe."

"So what does that have do with Jin joining our team?" Yumi looked up and decided to take the question seeing that it was her plan.

"We wanted to give Jin a test run. If Jin handled himself well during the next XANA attack, we'd offer to let him join, if we agree that is."

"And if he failed?" Ulrich asked wanting to know the flip side of her offer.

"Then he would just dismiss the whole ordeal as a bad dream."

Ulrich suddenly remembered the moment he saw Jin when they were about to return to the past. "So that's why Jin wasn't frozen!" Ulrich exclaimed, he was finally able to answer the single question that was plaguing him for all this time. "He was already programed into the computer."

"Yes," Yumi replied still nervous about the whole meeting.

"But here's the main question Yumi. Why, why didn't you just tell us your plan? It would have saved you a lot of trouble." He said the next part audible enough so that only he could hear himself, "and me a lot of sleep."

"Think of it guys," Jeremie interjected in Yumi's defense. "If both of you knew what was going on, then you would have treated that XANA attack more like a job interview rather than an actual emergency."

"Now how would we grade that?" Odd questioned. "That would be funny." Odd then straightened himself out and spoke in a professional, gruff voice. "Now Mr. Ishiyama that was a good performance. You saved all the civilians and managed to halt the enemy's attack. However, we're looking for someone with a little more spunk, but we'll call you when there's a job opening. Here's our card."

"ODD!" The other three teenagers yelled simultaneously who were not in the mood for any witty jokes at the moment.

"So Yumi," Odd asked, trying to be serious. "Why do you want your brother to be a part of this so badly?"

"Well, I saw how much trouble we were having and I instantly thought that Jin could help us. I mean, the more fighters we have in Lyoko, the better the chances we have in winning this war. Ok guys, let's get this thing out of the way and vote. All who want Jin in our group raise their hands."

"I didn't see Jin," Odd said. "I was in Lyoko, saving the world, remember? I'm gonna sit this one out."

"The same can be said for me. Except that I was in the factory making sure Odd was doing his job" Jeremie replied in a similar fashion.

"Well Ulrich, the ball is in you court. You already know my answer so it's up to you to decide. Do you want Jin to join or do you not?

Ulrich creased his brow when confronted with the question. This was the second difficult choice he had to make in two days. However, unlike his first predicament, he could not just return to the past in case he did make the wrong decision. There were SO many factors to consider. Jin was a nice guy and all, but could he keep his mouth shut? Would he be able to fight in Lyoko and not just get in their way? Could he handle the stress of having a "double life?" The questions Ulrich had were endless as they swirled around in his head like a hurricane while he stood in the safety of the eye of the storm.

"First off, before I cast my vote, are there any people here who do not want Jin to join us?"

Jeremie raised his hand. "I still don't know Ulrich. We're having a hard time keeping the factory and XANA a secret amongst the four of us. Think of the problems we'll have with a fifth. Look, I'm not playing favorites here. I'm just looking at the risks."

"Jeremie," Yumi asked trying to convince her friend that Jin was capable of such a responsibility. "Did anybody bother telling you about the XANA attack last night?"

"No Yumi, no one did."

"Let's just say if there was anyone taking unnecessary risks that night, it was Jin. Jeremie, he could have died! He suffered major injuries to his back and head, yet he still decided to stay and help make sure that Milly's teddy bear didn't take any innocent lives!" Yumi exclaimed as she played out the scene she saw last night. She could still see her brother spinning in the air after the chair shot he took, compliments of XANA.

Ulrich stood admits the chaos in his mind until Yumi pointed out the previous XANA attack. It was because of Jin that both he and Sissi were still safe, and on that night, Jin was rewarded with a free fall and a steel chair. Yet despite his injuries, he didn't care, he wanted to make sure if everyone was ok. Jin even refused offers of medical attention from Sissi and instead opted to put himself in danger once again for his sake. With that realization, Ulrich's storm soon dispersed and his answer came to him clear as day. He closed his eyes and spoke.

"Sorry to disappoint you Jeremie, but my vote is with Yumi. Jin is joining us. Last night, Jin really came through for us and risked his life, no questions asked. If he was never there, I don't even want to think of the consequences. Anybody who can risk their life twice in one night is definitely capable of fighting XANA's forces in Lyoko."

Jeremie was shocked, he was never informed of Jin's valor last night and never really stopped to think about it. "I suppose you're right Ulrich. Maybe this won't be such a bad choice for us."

Yumi on the other hand could barely contain her excitement. Her plan actually came through and Jin was now going to aid them in their fight in Lyoko. She jumped out of her bench and gave Ulrich a passionate hug. "Oh thank you, thank you Ulrich! You don't know how much this means to me!" She said in delight. It took a few moments for them to realize their current position before the blushes kicked in again causing them to let go of each other. Yumi looked around the campus while she tried to think of a defense for her actions. "I was excited, that's all. It was a hug of celebration."

Odd raised one eyebrow, "Suuuuuuure, celebration, so that's what they call it these days," he said slyly while watching his two good friends shift uneasily underneath his gaze.

Jeremie really didn't like the awkward silence Odd created. "So who's going tell Jin?" He said trying to bring the conversation back on topic.

Yumi and Ulrich both snapped out of their dream states and tried act as if their hug never happened.

"I think we all should," Yumi said, returning to her old confident self. "I'll call him and we'll break the news to him together."

* * *

Two years was a long time, however, it was not long enough to "mess" with someone's sense of direction just like how Yumi's note suggested. Jin was still able to navigate the streets of his hometown safely as he found himself in the local park, his desired destination. There was nothing fancy about the place, a jungle gym out in the distance and a few park benches littered the field were all the features that the land held. Jin began to walk down the park's path and over to one of the benches where he set his bag down. He switched the tracks on his CD player and a quiet piano tune filled his ears. Jin surveyed the park and spoke to himself.

"Just like how you left it, nothing's changed. Nothing except..." Jin shook the thought out of his head. He did not want to think about his "incident" two years ago which caused him to flee from his hometown. However, one name did manage to escape from his lips

"Ghai"

Jin then stood up and removed his headphones and began to do the one activity that always helped clear his head, he began to practice.

Jin first got into a comfortable stance and began to move his arms in slow circular motions. His mom always suggested him to learn Tai Chi to help calm him down. She was always interested in Chinese philosophy despite her Japanese heritage and Jin even saw her perform a few of the moves in their living room a few years ago. Jin's knowledge of Tai Chi was quite limited even though he read a few books on the subject. He concentrated on his motions, and making sure that he kept a sense of peace while performing them. He got a few curious stares from passers by but he didn't mind. Jin then switched stances and began to perfect his own personal fighting style.

When he lived in America, Jin was worried that his fighting skills would diminish without Master Fong's guidance. To prevent this, he started reading books and watching videos of various martial arts styles. At school, the groups of kids that he befriended were all martial arts students and all proved to be excellent sparing partners.

Jin warmed up with a few hand strikes before moving one with his specialty, long range kicks. This was his morning routine in America. Whenever he had a free moment at his Uncle's house, Jin would go to the local park to practice. He performed a series of lighting-fast kicks with his left leg before throwing a heavy roundhouse with his right. As he jumped in the air to deliver an outside crescent kick, he heard his cell phone ring which caused him to lose his concentration making him lose his balance in midair and falling face first into the grass.

"So this is how grass taste like," Jin said to himself. His speech was muffled from him speaking into the ground. He slowly picked himself up and began to spit the fowl taste of soil from his mouth before answering his phone. He read the name Yumi on the phone's screen before pressing the answer button.

"Talk to me," Jin spoke into the phone in a calm voice.

"Hey Jin," his sister replied from the other end. "Was I interrupting anything?"

"Not really, but now least I know what a cow's diet taste like. It's not very pleasant."

Yumi did not want to think of the obesity of her brother's statement and continued the conversation. "Aniki, can you meet me at school? There's something I want to tell you."

"Sure thing," and with that Jin collected his items, placed his headphones over his ears and went on his way.

* * *

Yumi hung up her cell phone and sat down in the bench behind her. The other three boys stood behind her and relaxed for the time being.

"So Yumi," Odd spoke without even turning his head to face her. "What did Jin say?"

Yumi ignored the cow remark that her brother said and gave him a very straight-laced answer. "He said he's coming but I don't know how long it would take for him to get here. He never told me where he was."

"Well in that case he could be anywhere. In the mall, at the library, out in some random field or..."

"Right next to you," came Jin's voice. Odd turned his head toward the direction of the speaker and saw that indeed Jin was "right next to him."

"What the!" Odd exclaimed, startled by Jin's sudden emergence into the conversation.

"Look I just like to tell you..."

"We know, you show up out of nowhere, like a ghost."

Jin recalled the familiarity of Odd's answer yet could not place an exact date or time on the statement.

"Did I tell you guys that yesterday?" Jin said while scratching his head. "I vaguely remember saying those words somewhere."

"Umm no...uhh..your sister told us that."

"Speaking of my sister," Jin really was curious on what Yumi had to say to him. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Well it's not just me Jin" Yumi said still sitting on the bench. "It's all of us."

"What is it?"

Jeremie was the first to speak. "First Jin, I have to ask, can you keep a secret?"

"Sure, usually when my friends tell me their secrets I forget about them. So yeah, secrets are quite safe with me."

"I don't think this is a secret that you'll be forgetting anytime soon.

Jin was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Jin," Jeremie continued his questioning. "Have you had any weird dreams about teddy bears recently?"

Jin's eye's went wide with shock and just stood there stunned with Jeremie's question.

"Now what if I told you, that the bear you saw in your dream was not a figment of your imagination but more of a lost memory that your subconscience was trying to cling onto?"

"Then I'd say you're crazy. It was just a bad dream and nothing more."

"I wouldn't say that," Ulrich said while stepping toward him. "In your dream you and I had to evacuate the auditorium because the bear was going to attack it and you accomplished that task by pulling the fire alarm."

"No, it couldn't be!" Jin was getting more and more confused. Ulrich recalled a specific moment of his dream with great accuracy, as if he saw the dream himself. Jin was still trying to analyze the situation that was presented before him, "the dream CAN'T be real," he thought to himself. "I mean come on, GIANT TEDDY BEARS! This must be Yumi just messing with his head. "Real funny sis," Jin spoke, trying to make sense of what was going on. "You must have told them about my dream too."

"That would be a very plausible explanation Aniki, but there's one slight problem, you never told me that you had to evacuate the area," Yumi refuted.

Jin recalled the conversation he had with Yumi this morning and was startled when he remembered that he never did mention anything about evacuating the school auditorium.

"If what you're saying is true...then the only way Ulrich could know about what happened is if..." Jin finally managed to put the pieces of the convoluted jigsaw puzzle together but did not like the overall picture he was seeing. "Then that means...Oh God no! I'm going crazy. I just know it." He covered his head with his hands in an effort to contain what little sanity he had left inside of him.

"What do you mean Aniki?"

"The only way for Ulrich to know about my dream was if he was there himself! Then that mean it wasn't a dream that stuff really happened last night! You're telling me that I was almost killed by a giant teddy bear!"

"Look Jin, you need to calm down," Ulrich said once again. "We know this is a little overwhelming for you so we're gonna take this nice and slow. It was no easier for us once we found out about it so you're not alone."

If anyone else were to hear that statement, they would have immediately thought that Ulrich had indeed lost his marbles. However, deep down inside, Jin WANTED to believe what he was saying. For some reason, this seamed like the answer that he was looking for. Jin took in a breath of fresh air before speaking again, "Ok Ulrich, I'm listening."

"Why don't you handle this Jeremie?" And with that Ulrich stepped to the side, allowing Jeremie to face the potential recruit.

"Ok, Jin it's like this...," and Jeremie began the long process of telling Jin about Lyoko.

* * *

Four hours...

Four hours...

Four hours, that's how long it took for him to rid himself of that infernal blue paint. Four hours of scrubbing every square inch of his body to purify his flesh of the acrylic byproduct. Dirk sat at the desk in his dorm with his head bowed down, brooding over the events yesterday. In one day, his best friend was injured, his reputation was soiled and an expensive outfit was ruined all by the hands of one person.

"Jin Ishiyama," Dirk spat out the name as if he had a fowl taste in his mouth. "And all his friends, do they have ANY idea with whom they're messing with!"

Dirk's lament was interrupted by Clayton's entrance. The two of them shared the same dorm and frequently used their room as a "think tank" to come up with new schemes for the day.

"Hey Dirk," said his larger companion. "I can see that you're still upset from yesterday." Clayton placed his right hand on the desk which was now heavily bandaged as the result of him punching a sheet of metal.

"Let's just say that what happened yesterday was not a highlight in my life and we'll just leave it at that," Dirk said. His icy cold demeanor sent chills down Clayton's spine.

"That means your angry right?" Clayton asked still unsure of his friend's answer. All of a sudden he saw Dirk struggled to contain his anger, but it came out regardless.

"YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I'M ANGRY! IN FACT I AM PISSED OFF! YOU HEAR ME CLAYTON? I'M FREKIN PISSED OFF FOR WHAT THOSE KIDS DID TO US!"

The sheer rage in Dirk's voice scared Clayton to his wit's end. The emotion that Dirk just vented was unprecedented. He could see the anger burning in his eyes as he looked like he was going to lose control of himself. Dirk took a couple of deep breaths and straitened out his collar before returning to his brooding self.

"What about you Clayton, obviously you have some sort of feeling of resentment from yesterday. That hand didn't injure itself don't you know."

Clayton squeezed his right fist repeatedly, feeling every single reception of pain that his hand generated. "I'd love to get them back for what they did."

Dirk leaned back in his chair and turned his head toward his friend. "So do I my large friend. So do I."

Clayton walked over to the dorm's window and couldn't believe his eyes. Outside at that given moment, was everyone they swore revenge against: Yumi, Ulrich, Jeremie, Odd and of course Jin.

"Hey Dirk, check this out! The "Weirdo Bunch" is outside!" Clayton exclaimed, using Sissi's terminology to define their special group.

Dirk quickly stood up as a wicked smile began to spread on his face. "You know Clayton, we still owe Jin his little welcoming gift. Why don't we go down there and show us some of our "hospitality". Shall we?" Dirk silently chuckled to himself as he stepped out of the room followed closely by Clayton, still rubbing his fist hoping that it would heal soon.

* * *

"So let me get this straight...," Jin said trying to recap all the information that Jeremie and the others had told him, which was not an easy task. "You're fighting this evil computer named Aelita in a virtual world called XANA and the only contact you have there is your friend in there named Lyoko?"

"No Jin," corrected Yumi. "Aelita is the one we're trying to save, XANA is the enemy and the world is called Lyoko."

"Alright I think I understand that. So what exactly does this "XANA Guy" do? I mean, he's only a computer."

"I wouldn't be underestimating XANA if I were you," Yumi continued her corrections. "He almost killed you last night"

"Oh yeah."

"Basically, XANA can control anything he wishes and he would then turn these items against us. When he does that, it's our job to go into Lyoko and deactivate his tower so that the attacks cease then we go to the past and act like everything is normal."

"So is there anything he_ can't_ do?"

Jeremie answered Jin's question for Yumi's sake. "XANA can't attack humans directly. He always has to use other means to wreak havoc."

"Well least I know that XANA just can't creep into my head and make my brain explode. Now I could sleep peacefully at night. By the way, who was in Lyoko last night? I need to thank him." Jin pointed to Jeremie, "Was it you?"

"Nope. I'm just the guy who handles the computers. Odd over there is your hero."

Jin slowly walked up to Odd and shook his hand. "Thanks Odd for saving my sister, she means a lot to me."

"I appreciate your gratitude Jin but I should be thanking you also. I mean you did take a chair to the back for my best friend."

"It's nothing, just doing my part in stopping the bad guy."

Odd looked over Jin's shoulder and was not too pleased to see the extra company walking toward them. "Speaking of bad guys, here comes a couple of them now."

"Please don't tell me that XANA has a human form. It's already complicated enough already." Jin said in despair.

"Well you're half right. It's not XANA, but the enemies that are walking toward us are very human."

"Huh?"

Jin and Ulrich looked at Odd's expression and turned their heads to see what has made him so riled up. Odd had every reason to be a little on edge, coming their way was a not too happy looking Dirk and Clayton. The two boys exchanged glances while Ulrich mouthed a secret message to Jin.

"Protect Yumi," he said. Jin silently acknowledged his words by walking in front of her and standing on her left while Ulrich guarded her right.

Jeremie then leaned over to Odd and whispered something in his ear. "Looks like we should show Jin the factory. Maybe then he'll understand everything."

"Sounds like a plan, but let's shake these two bozo's off first," Odd whispered back. "Don't worry. Those three can handle themselves." Odd looked back at the bench and hoped that this conflict would end shortly.

"Well if isn't Papa and Baby Smurf. I'm glad to see you guys got all the blue paint off," Jin snickered still finding some amusement in their misfortune from yesterday. Upon hearing his remark, Dirk marched right up to Jin and looked him square in the eye.

"No thanks to you Ishiyama!" Dirk spat back still bitter from their previous confrontation.

"Let it go man," Ulrich said, trying to keep the peace. "It's over, what's done is done, no use dwelling in the past."

"Shut it kid!" Dirk snapped. "Don't try to act all innocent yourself. If I don't mistaken, you handed Jin the sheet of metal yesterday."

"So?"

"That makes you an accomplice to my friend's injury."

"You've been watching too many court shows Dirk."

"I demand compensation for yesterday!"

Jin really did not want the conversation to escalate and tried his best to come to an agreement. "What do you want from us?"

"I don't need anything from YOU, Jin."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"YOU don't need to do anything but your sister here can. It's her services that I'm interested in."

Jin and Ulrich watched both Dirk and Clayton place one arm on each of Yumi's shoulders effectively pinning her against the bench. Both of the boys were immediately angered by the sheer sight of it. Jin tried his best to contain his emotions and try to come to a peaceful solution.

"What do you want with my sister?"

"Nothing much nothing much at all. A little song, a little dance..."

Yumi looked up and her brother's face with a frightened look in her eyes. Jin gave her a reassuring nod and then turned to Ulrich who responded with a nod of his own. With their singles exchanged, Jin calmly resumed his discussion with Dirk.

"Now, now, now Dirk. Let's not be rash here. We can all find an agreement amongst the three of us."

"Like how?"

"Well, first off we should discuss all your complaints and find out who's really at fault here then we could..." Jin's angry look returned as he cut himself off in mid sentence to trigger his plan. "NOW!"

Dirk and Clayton were both caught off guard with Jin's command. In one swift motion, both Ulrich and Jin swatted away the arm's of the perpetrators off of Yumi's shoulder's before handing out their own retribution. Still holding his CD player in his left hand, Jin stepped forward toward Dirk and threw his elbow into his chest. Ulrich on his part ducked low and shot out a powerful hook to Clayton's temple. Both individuals were blown back by Jin and Ulrich's powerful coordinated attack and landed on the floor in a dusty heap. Not satisfied with the damaged he caused Jin walked up to Dirk, who was still dazed by the elbow received, and picked him up the collar.

"Ok punk listen to me now!" Jin had a look of deep hatred in his eyes and he lifted Dirk with no trouble. "I'm only going to say this once so pay attention. Nobody and I mean NOBODY messes with my sister. If you ever do ANYTHING like that to her or any one of my friends, I will make sure to give you a beating ten times worse!" With that said, he threw Dirk over his shoulder and walked toward to his sister.

"Yumi are you all right?" Ulrich asked now concern with her safety.

"I am now, thanks."

"Ok, we're going" Jeremie said, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

"Where are we going exactly?" Jin asked.

"Field trip," those were the only words he was given as he watched his newfound group of friends walk into the direction of the forest.

* * *

Dirk slowly rose to his feet, still clutching his chest. He could still feel the effects of Jin's strike leaving an everlasting reminder of yet another humiliating defeat. Clayton got up moments later and was holding his head with his good hand, trying to make the pain stop.

"What do we do now Dirk?" Clayton asked, still angry from that punch Ulrich threw at him.

"We get even, that's what." With that Dirk pulled out his cell phone and began to dial a number that was unfamiliar to Clayton.

"Who are you calling?" Clayton asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"A few of my friends" Dirk chuckled to himself as he heard someone on the other line pick up. "Now." That was the only word that Dirk said as he turned off his cell phone.

"What was that?"

"Our means of success my dear friend." Dirk silently laughed to himself knowing the fruits of his labor will soon pay off.

* * *

"Hey Jin, do you wear your headphones all the time?" Odd asked, trying to kill some time on their walk.

"Well I try to. When I'm listening to someone or if I'm playing sports or something like that I usually take them off. It's a fashion accessory really."

"And your jacket sleeve?" Ulrich butted in, also curious about Jin's sense of fashion.

"That's more of a personal preference."

"Would you mind telling us?"

Jin paused for a second before answering, "Maybe later."

Jeremie lead the group toward their hidden manhole cover while Odd provided running commentary to amuse himself.

"OK campers remember, if you get lost, just run to this tree right here and we'll come and get you."

Jin decided to play along with Odd's charade. "Counselor Odd, can we make smores tonight?"

"Of course we can Jin. We'll make smores, sing campfire songs, tell ghost stories and do all sorts of cool stuff."

Jeremie halted his walk and stopped by the all-too-familiar manhole cover in the middle of the forest. "We're here," he announced to the rest of the group.

"That's our field trip? A manhole cover? Or maybe you guys wanted to show me what a forest looks like in this time of day? I mean what's so special about this place?" Jin questioned, not very impressed with their current location.

"Don't worry Jin, our trip hasn't ended yet," Ulrich said as he lifted the cover and began to climb down the stairs followed closely by Yumi, Odd and Jeremie.

"Just where the HELL do you guys think you're going!"

"Down" Odd said dryly.

"Come on Aniki," Yumi said playfully. "You want your answers right? We'll you're going to get them real soon, you just gotta walk through this sewer to get to them."

"Oh alright, I'm going." Jin caved into his curiosity as he was the last to climb the ladder, but not before closing the cover. Whatever they were hiding, it was worth keeping it a secret from the general public.

* * *

Odd quickly ran and grabbed his skateboard and was preparing to perform his signature take off.

"And just where you do think_ you're_ going" Ulrich said mimicking the question Odd asked him that morning.

"To the factory duh?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Not really. I don't think so."

"Jin doesn't have a skateboard to take him there. If we all ride ours, we're gonna leave that guy in the dust and he's going to get lost in the sewers."

"Touché."

Jin and the others caught up to Odd and Ulrich's current location a few moments later. Jin noticed the neat row of skateboards and the single scooter that was resting against the sewer's wall.

"So this is your big secret. Aside from fighting XANA, you guys like to use the sewers as your own personal skate park. Man am I so smart," Jin said wearing a triumphant smile on his face.

"Far from it Aniki. We use these to transport ourselves to our special location and after today, you'll have place one vehicle of your choice here too. Do you skateboard Jin?

Jin rolled up his sleeves revealing his arms with two identical scars on each appendage, "See these Yumi? Two separate accidents, same vehicle, guess which one."

Yumi looked a little worried after seeing Jin's injuries. He was going to need some sort of transportation.

"But then again, after receiving these injuries, I got better, I mean I'm no Tony Hawk but at least I won't fall flat on my face while riding."

Yumi was relieved upon hearing this, "Well since you don't have your skateboard now, well just walk there. It's not too far away."

For the entire walk through the sewer, Jin was very quiet. He had alot to think about. Evil computers, virtual worlds and almost being killed yesterday. Jin was so busy pondering, he did not realize that the others had stopped walking in front of him.

"Oof," Jin grunted as he bumped into Ulrich by mistake.

"Hey, no cuts people," Odd said in front of them. Don't worry children, you will all get a turn."

* * *

Jin climbed up the ladder once more and saw an old abandon factory right in front of him.

"Jin my friend," Jeremie said gesturing toward the building. "The answers that you are looking for lie within this building."

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Jin's voice held a childlike sense of wonder and anticipation. Much like the look a kid has when opening a gift on Christmas Morning.

Yumi glanced around the bridge and decided to make this trip a little more fun. "Hey since we're all here," she called out. "Let's have a little race."

"You're on," Ulrich said not wanting to back down from the challenge.

"A race? Sure!" Odd's excitement was renewed for the day.

"Count me in!" Jin answered cracking his knuckles in his usual fashion. He then placed his CD player in his backpack.

"Ok...I'll go" Jeremie said reluctantly knowing full well that running was not exactly his "cup of tea."

"On my count," Yumi held her hand up and began to countdown. "Three, two, one GO!"

Odd and Yumi took the early lead as they bolted ahead with Odd slightly in front. Already sensing victory, Odd began to taunt the other four who were unfortunate enough to be behind him.

"Oh come on guys! If you keep running at that pace, XANA's monsters are going to have you for lunch!" Odd's arrogance ceased when he saw both Ulrich and Jin sprint right past him. "Aww man can't you guys take a joke?" Odd yelled at the two distant figures.

The two boys were neck and neck with each other as they approached the factory. That was until Jin stepped on his shoelace and began to take a tumble. He rolled on the floor a few times before skidding to a halt, face down on the concrete. The race immediately stopped as everyone began to check to see if Jin was hurt.

"You ok Jin?" Ulrich asked worryingly.

"I wish I could say that this was the first time this has happened to me...today." Jin rolled over and stood up without any problems.

Odd was amazed, "Woah! You took a fall like that and yet you can walk away from it!"

"If your as accident prone as I am you generally know how to take a beating like without seriously injuring yourself."

"Well in that case Jin," Odd said with a hint of worry in his voice. "I wonder how you're gonna handle the next step?"

"Huh?"

"You see, for us to gain quick access to the factory's elevator, we attached ropes to the ceiling so we can swing down them. See?" Odd pointed to the ropes that were dangling nearby.

"Just great, I might just eat pavement a third time...if I'm lucky. Why don't you guys us a magical invention called the front door?"

"Cause it's not as heroic if we enter the factory through the front door." Odd then dashed toward the ropes and grabbed onto one of them "WAHOO!" he yelled out, enjoying the trill of having the wind blow against his face and the sheer speed that his body was moving.

Odd swung on the rope until his body was low enough for him to jump off. He planted both his feet on the floor when he landed and turned around to the others and gave his friends standing on the ledge above him the thumbs up. Ulrich, Yumi and Jeremie all followed suit and began their decent into the depths of the factory. Jin ran up the ropes and grabbed one, holding on to it for dear life. He swung forward and he released the rope then landed on the floor crouching low to better absorb the impact and placed his right arm onto the floor in front of him and held his left arm back for balance. Jin stood up and removed the sliver street-style headphones from his back and placed them over his ears.

"That was fun," Jin said as he adjusted the plastic contraption so that it would fit comfortably on his head.

"Ok Jin our trip ends here," Jeremie stated. "Everything will be answered once we step into this elevator."

The five of them walked inside and each stood in their trademark positions. Jeremie punched in the access code and clasped his hands behind his back, Odd rested his against his hips, Ulrich placed his hands in his pockets while Yumi stood in front of everyone else arms akimbo. Jin just walked to the back of the elevator and leaned back against the wall with his head bowed down.

* * *

The elevator ride soon stopped as the door opened with a large hiss causing a steam cloud to form. Jin stared wide-eyed at the whole scene before him in disbelief. The room that he was in, held all sorts of technological marvels and various computers and machines were strewn across the room.

"What is this place!" Jin asked in excitement.

"Welcome to Club Lyoko!" Odd said excitedly. "We have many benefits for all of our members. Now if you would please show us your card."

Ulrich had enough with Odd's antics, "Give it a rest will you." He then turned toward Jin. "This is our headquarters and where we go in order to stop XANA from attacking us," Ulrich said introducing him to the sights of the room.

"Now there's someone here we would like for you to meet," Odd said anticipating the overall shock Jin was about to receive.

"Who? Everyone in this room I've already met yesterday."

"Not everyone, look at the computer screen."

Jin obeyed Odd's command and peered at the screen and saw a pink-haired girl stare right back at him.

"You must be Yumi's brother. I've heard a lot about you it's good to see you in person."

"Holy cow it talks!" Jin said surprised at the fact that he was having an actual conversation with a being in a computer screen. His jaw was hanging open until he remembered the lecture Jeremie gave him just moments before. "Wait a minute, you must be Aelita."

"You are correct."

"When Jeremie told me about you I was expecting a mere program not something this,...this _human_"

"Thank you. Jeremie usually says stuff like that to me all the time but I'm still flattered."

Jin turned around at the person in question and saw a blush spread across his cheeks. "Here we go again," Jin said to himself.

"May I please have your name? I don't want to be calling you Yumi's brother all the time."

"Where are my manners? Jin Ishiyama, at your service." Jin once again performed his patented gentlemen's bow "I would like to shake your hand, but I see that's impossible right now."

"Jin, that's a nice name."

"My mother gave it to me. It's Chinese."

"I've noticed that you and your sister look very similar to one another."

Jeremie recollected himself and spoke to Aelita. "When I told you that Yumi and Jin are both twins."

"Twins? You mean Yumi and Jin are almost identical?"

"In a way, yes Aelita. Jin and Yumi share more of their genetic code since they have the same parents so their appearances are also similar. Well Aelita, I would like to talk with you some more, but we have to show Jin the scanners."

"See you later Aelita, nice meeting you."

"You too Jin" Aelita saw the group of five make their way to the elevator once more. The elevator's doors closed once more as the occupants listened to the low hum the elevator made as it lowered them down to the next floor.

* * *

"So Jin," Ulrich said while turning around to face him. "You told Aelita that your name is Chinese correct?"

"Yep."

"But you're Japanese."

"And the question is..."

"I'm just wondering why you have a Chinese name instead of a Japanese one."

"Actually Ulrich there's a funny story behind that and when I say funny story, I don't mean haha funny more like a slightly amused funny."

"Ok," Ulrich answered back slightly taken back by Jin's strange definition for the common word.

"Why don't you take this one sis? I can't think straight right now, you know with all this talk about evil computers and a virtual program that acts like a human."

Yumi nodded and took the conversation over for Jin.

"You see Ulrich, when our mother found out that she had twins, the first words that she said were "such beautiful treasures." At first it was an off hand remark but soon that comment became her own special way of talking about us. We were known as the "Beautiful Treasures" in our family, so when it came to naming us, it was only natural for her to use those same names.

"But your names are not Beautiful and Treasure."

"Of course not Ulrich that would just sound silly but our names do mean that. My name Yumi does mean beautiful, so Mother had an easy time naming me. Her son was a little more difficult."

"Difficult?"

"Well, there were a few Japanese names that could be substituted for "treasure". Those names meant golden and emerald boy, but our mother thought those names sounded too greedy. She wanted a name that would convey the same message but at the same time, hold some substance. You see, ever since she took that Easter Philosophy class in collage, our mother has always been fascinated with Chinese Philosophy."

"Chinese philosophy?"

"It mainly consists of balance. The most universal sign is the Yin-Yang, symbolizing the balance between the good and evil in all of us."

"Go on."

"Well a major part in Chinese philosophy is Taoism. One of the subjects she learned from it was the five Chinese elements: water, fire, wood, metal and earth. Each element has a different personality and all humans contain all five elements in them. With people, the more you had of a particular element, the more of that element's personality is expressed. Our mother used this to think of her son's name. She named him Jin, meaning gold in Chinese."

"Why a Chinese name?"

"Well you see, the Chinese value gold for more than its dollar value. Gold in its purest form is very rare and could change at a moment's notice. Our mom wanted Jin to be "like gold" always true to himself in a society of impurities and his fiery personality helps there."

"What do you mean Yumi?"

"Well, the only way one could remove impurities from gold was by burning it. Jin's personality helps him stay the same and not bend to the wills of society. That's what my mother wanted when she named him Jin, a son who would always think for himself and will do what's right in his eyes despite pressures from the outside world."

The elevator ride stopped once more as they pass through the door and into the scanner room.

"So how are these elements determined?"

"Well according to Taoism, it's based off the year you were born in, but I think one could be born in one year yet possess the personality trait of an element of another." Yumi halted her speech and was worried if Ulrich was truly indeed listening to her. "You know Ulrich, you could just tell me to stop if you don't want to hear this anymore. I can understand that this may sound really boring to you."

"Actually, coming from you, it's rather interesting."

"Just remember, I'm not that good at this. If you really want to get the whole picture, you should ask Jin. He's really into this stuff, just like our mom."

"I'd rather hear it from you. Go on Yumi, share more with me."

A slight blush appeared on her cheeks before she continued. "Well for one, since we're twins, I should have the same personality as Jin's but I don't. I consider my element to be earth, I can hold my ground during stressful situations and I'm pretty stable."

"What about me?" Ulrich asked curiously.

"You seem to posses the wood element."

"Wood?"

"Yes Ulrich. You like to make the best of yourself and are pretty competitive while at the same time you have strong roots and make sure that you're still close with your friends. Plus your favorite color is green and that's the color the wood element is known for."

"How about Odd and Jeremie?" Ulrich asked eager to hear Yumi give a rundown on his other two friends.

"Jeremie is most defiantly metal. That guy is really disciplined and organized to the extremes, and when has his sights set on a particular task, he won't stop until it's completed."

"Yeah like Aelita's materialization," Ulrich said jokingly.

"Now Odd is a little difficult, "Yumi said looking up toward the ceiling. "Most likely his element is water since his personality is always changing and it fails to fit into one category much like how water lacks a definite shape. Except that a primary attribute of someone with the water element is that they're very introspective and that is not a good word to describe Odd with. But like I said Ulrich, this stuff isn't an exact science."

Ulrich thought about Yumi's analysis of his personality and found it to be relatively correct. He decided to try his hand at this whole Taoism game. "Well your brother's element is really obvious. Heck I don't know anything about Taoism yet I can guess his element easily."

"Yep despite his name, Jin's element is fire. He's always charging headlong into things and is extremely reckless and courageous. Sometimes, he doesn't know his own physical limitations and will sacrifice his own physical health to achieve his goal. It's like he doesn't allow his body to get tired or feel pain if the cause he's fighting for is a good one."

"Just like last night," Ulrich said feeling slightly guilty for the fact that Jin almost died because he was unable to look out for himself.

"Don't worry Ulrich, you can't save the world by yourself Jin just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's not your fault. He intentionally threw himself into the fray but thanks for caring."

* * *

"Now Jin, in order for us to get into Lyoko, we have to use these scanners to virtualize our bodies," Jeremie said, continuing his lecture. He turned toward Jin and saw that he wasn't really paying attention to his words and was more interested at Yumi and Ulrich's conversation.

"Are you even listening to me Jin?" Jeremie asked a little upset on how easily he was being overlooked.

Jin watched Yumi place her hand on Ulrich's shoulder in an effort to comfort him. "They're pretty close, aren't they?"

Jeremie didn't know exactly what Jin was talking about and raised his eyebrow in confusion, "What?"

Jin let out a small sigh before elaborating on his previous question. "My sister and Ulrich."

"Yeah they are."

The sudden change of the topic of the conversation caught Odd's attention. "So Jin, how do you feel about this? Are you gonna start keeping tabs on Yumi?"

"Not really. Ulrich is a good person for my sister to be with as with you guys too. This seams like something she needs to handle on her own and my involvement would only make things worse."

"Then what are you going to do then?"

"It's pretty much hands off with me. God forbid me for controlling almost every aspect of my sister's life. She knows what's best for her and I respect that. Oh and Jeremie, don't worry I did hear your little ditty on the scanners."

Jin looked down and saw a giant cover with a valve over it.

"Hey now what's down there?"

"XANA," both Odd and Jeremie said at the same time.

"WHAT! Did I hear you guys right! You're saying XANA as in _THE_ XANA. The evil computer that's out to destroy mankind is right here underneath our feet!"

"That pretty much sums it up," Odd said ignoring Jin's slight panic attack.

"This is crazy. You see, I thought that XANA would be in some sort of evil laboratory out in the mountains, but no, it's right here, oh God this is scary!"

"Actually Jin, having XANA right here ensures our safety," Jeremie said trying his best to calm Jin down.

Jin stopped his miniature rant to scratch his head as now he was the one that was confused right now, "I'm not following you."

"Think Jin. If XANA is here, then he_ won't_ attack the factory out of fear of destroying himself."

"Now that makes a whole lot of sense. But here's my question. If XANA is indeed right below us, what's stopping me from going downstairs myself with a baseball bat and ending the madness myself?"

"It's Aelita. If we destroy XANA, we destroy Lyoko and since Aelita lives in Lyoko she would be destroyed too. This is why I'm working on a program to bring Aelita into our world so we can end our fight."

"So how goes it?"

"I haven't been making much progress lately."

"Eww, bad times. So your basic battle consists of this. Wait for XANA to attack, run to the factory, go into Lyoko, deactivate the towers with Aelita's help then reset the past so nobody outside of us remembers what happened. All while buying you time to materialize Aelita so we can put XANA away for good."

"And I thought you didn't understand this stuff?"

"I'm a fast learner."

Yumi and Ulrich rejoined the original group and listened to the other's conversation.

"Ok Jin," Jeremie said while pushing up his glasses. "It's time to ask you the big question."

"That being..."

"Do you wanna help us in our fight against XANA?"

"When you say fight, you mean go into Lyoko and all that other good stuff right?"

"That's correct."

"When you guys brought me here I just thought you were telling all of this so that way I would know where my sister is in case she did have to go into Lyoko. Now you're asking me if I want to fight too?"

"It's your choice Jin. There is one way for you to be able to remember a XANA attack and that's by having a character for Lyoko. The only reason why you remember anything from last night was because your sister had me program your basic specs into the factory's computer. If you want, I could delete this information and you could live the rest of your life as if this never happened."

"Aniki please!" Yumi pleaded. "This is why I called you back! This is the serious trouble that going on here except that not only am I in danger, but so is the whole world as well. We're doing alright right now, but we can still use more help. You proved that to us last night when you saved Ulrich's life."

Jin closed his eyes to give himself a moment of peace. This was indeed a huge responsibility for him to take, but then again, people were going to die if he refused. He didn't want another death on his hands. It was hard washing the blood of the innocent from you soul when it you were the sole cause of their death.

Jin looked up to the group and spoke with a renewed confidence. Placing his right hand into his left he began to crack his knuckles once more. "That XANA is not going to know what's hit him. Count me in."

The original fighters all let out a jubilant cheer of celebration. Jin was now a welcomed member of their group and they had a feeling that he would prove to be very useful to them in both worlds, real and virtual.

"That's great to hear Jin," Jeremie resumed the process. "Now let's head to the computer room so we can make up a character for you."

They road the elevator once more to the computer room. Jin watched Jeremie sit on his swivel chair while he stood at his side.

"Umm, guys," Jeremie spoke to the remaining three. "You could leave now. This process could take quite some time."

"That's ok Jeremie," Ulrich replied back. "We'll just wait on the first floor with you guys so we can all head back together."

Yumi, Odd and Ulrich then left the confines of the computer room to ride the elevator one last time.

"Ok Jin, let's get you a character, first off, what would your primary weapon be?"

Jin rubbed his chin as he thought of an answer, "I got it! Ok Jeremie listen up..."

* * *

Yumi Ulrich and Odd waited patiently on the factory's first floor for Jin and Jeremie.

"So, what were you two talking about in the scanner room?" Odd asked curiously. "It must have been PRETTY interesting."

"Philosophy Odd. Philosophy and nothing more." Ulrich answered back calmly.

"Philosophy? So that's what they call it now."

"No Odd we were really. Yumi's mother is really into Chinese philosophy, especially Taoism, and we were talking about the different elements and balance."

"Sure you were."

"No really Odd we were" Yumi said as she entered the conversation. "Ulrich was wondering why Jin had a Chinese name despite his Japanese roots and all of a sudden, the conversation turned toward Taoism."

Odd wasn't able to ask anymore questions as the elevator door cut off all his attempts. Jeremie and Jin stepped outside.

"So Jin," Odd found a new topic to pursue. "What's your character like?" He asked eager to see Jin's taste in Lyoko.

"Let's leave that as a surprise. Why don't you wait for the next XANA attack and then we'll show you."

"It really is quite a unique character," Jeremie said, admiring his own work. "It would do pretty well in Lyoko, considering if Jin is able to handle the pressure."

"So is that a no?" Odd said with a disappointed look on his face.

"Yes it is. Now come on guys, lets head home. I had enough excitement for one day."

* * *

Ulrich closed the manhole cover in the park and quickly caught up to the rest of his group. The return trip through the sewer was pretty uneventful as they spent most of their time listening to Jin's experiences in America.

"Man I hope the cafeteria is still open right now," Odd said, eagerly licking his lips. "What time is it?"

Jin checked his watch, "Hmm nine fifteen, we weren't gone for that long."

"Aw man I can wait to get some chow, I'm starving."

"Well you better savor that meal because when I'm through with you. You're gonna have to start eating your food through a straw for the rest of you life."

"Huh? Who said that!" Odd turned to his right toward the direction of the voice. He wasn't too surprised to see who was speaking this time. "Oh it's just you two."

Jin saw the figures himself and stepped forward to challenge them. Yumi and Ulrich stood by his side. "Tsk, Clayton and Dirk, not you two again! Man you guys are just like Team Rocket don't you ever give up!"

"Not when I've set my sights on a particular goal."

"Seesh Dirk, when will you get the picture?" Ulrich spoke. "We beat you guys once, and we can probably beat you again. Just leave now, even without Odd and Jeremie, we got you out numbered, three to two."

"Isn't that a shame Ulrich. I guess you haven't heard the phrase "History never repeats itself "and right now that saying is going to hold true." Dirk raised his fingers in the air and let out a crisp snap. "Boys"

Another boy equally as large as Clayton stepped by Dirk's side.

"Meet Bruno, he's a friend of mine and he is willing to knock your skulls in just to make a couple of bucks."

"You know what Dirk, you're a real sick puppy!"

"It's not my fault I put my money into good use. I don't consider this as a fight, but more of an emotionally profitable investment."

Jin set down his book bag and tried once again to stop another fight from happening. He extended his arm for a handshake toward Dirk and looked him in the eye.

"Look Dirk, this has gone far enough. If you don't stop, somebody will get hurt. I'll lay off of you if you lay off of us."

Dirk looked at Jin's hand for a moment before giving him his answer. "You're right Ishiyama. Someone will get hurt today...YOU!"

Dirk grabbed Jin's arm and twisted it behind his back. Jin let out a cry of pain from his arm being wretched in such an awkward angle. Dirk then threw a side kick to Jin's chest before letting go of his arm causing him to fall into the dirt.

"Ulrich gave Dirk a death glare. "You wanna get you faced kicked in you..." Jin held up his arm to cut him off and stood up with the aid of his sister.

"You're pretty good. I underestimated you." Jin began to dust himself off as Ulrich and Yumi each picked an opponent to take. Ulrich faced off against Clayton again while Yumi was staring at Bruno eye to eye. "I noticed when you called out your "friend" Bruno you said boys. That could only mean one of two things. A, you're still disoriented from the last butt kicking I gave you, or B you got another ace up your sleeve."

"Here let this answer your question for you."

Dirk raised his hand once more and released another crisp snap which cut through the cool air. Suddenly a person roughly around Dirk's size grabbed Jeremie from behind.

"You fools, now you see what happens when you toy with me. In the end I always get my way."

"Never mind the court shows," Ulrich said still facing Clayton. "You read too many comic books too."

Jin was too busy watching Jeremie struggle underneath his assailant's grip.

"Dirk, what's your problem with Jeremie!"

"Nothing, except that he's your friend which makes him a prime target for me."

Jin looked at his friends and saw that nobody was making an effort to free Jeremie and he made that fact _very_ clear.

"What are you guys doing! Jeremie needs our help!"

"Don't worry Aniki" Yumi smiled, "Jeremie can take care of himself."

* * *

Jeremie was a smart kid. Seeing how he had to constantly face the threat of a XANA attack AND Dirk and Clayton's harassments every day, he decided to have Ulrich and Yumi teach him basic self-defense. Although he was not as battle hardened as his teachers, Jeremie was now able to hold his own against a determined attacker. Freeing his arms, from his opponent's grip, Jeremie threw both his elbows back into his attacker's abdomen. Burno was not prepared for such a quick attack and quickly released the blonde boy from his grip so that he could clutch his stomach to drive out the pain. Jeremie notice the boy's posture and saw that he was virtually defenseless. Not wasting a second, Jeremie fired his arm in a vicious upward ark, Striking him in the center of his forehead. He watched in satisfaction Burno fall over back first on the floor and showed no signs of getting up.

* * *

"See what I told Aniki. Jeremie is going to be alright. Now let's finish up with these losers and go home," Yumi said as she starred a hole through Bruno.

The six fighters stood there motionless for what seemed like an eternity waiting for the other side to make the first move.

* * *

It was Clayton who took it upon himself to act.

"Come on Ulrich! Give me your best shot!" He taunted.

Ulrich stepped forward and launched out another left hook into Clayton's temple. Unfortunately for Ulrich, Clayton was now prepared for the attack and was unfazed by the blow.

"That's it! I heard you were a tough guy Ulrich, Prove it! I'm waiting."

Ulrich then threw out his right hand and fired a vicious body blow to Clayton's gut, but this too was absorbed and caused little damage. Clayton then grabbed Ulrich by the neck and lifted him into the air with one arm.

"You just can't beat me with your reputation. COME ON PUNK LAY ONE ON ME!"

"Too strong," Ulrich thought to himself as he felt his body being hoisted off the ground.

* * *

Yumi was fairing a lot better. Master Fong had taught her well as she gracefully dodged Bruno's attacks. He then threw a wild punch over her head giving Yumi all the time she needed to execute her next move. First she opened her right fist so her hand was straight, then she struck the area where Bruno's arm was connected to his shoulder, a very common pressure point. Bruno cradled his shoulder leaving him open for yet another attack. Yumi kicked the back of kneecap causing him to fall down onto one knee.

"This is what happens when you mess with my friends and family!" Yumi said as she prepared to deliver the knock out blow.

* * *

Jin and Dirk were evenly matched as they both parried each others attacks. Dirk then drew his fist back and tried to knock Jin out in a single punch but the move was heavily telegraphed. Jin countered by grabbing Drik's arm and pulling him close right before kneeing him in the gut. Dirk keeled over and looked up at Jin who was towering over.

"This can end now and no one will get hurt."

"Never!" And with that, Dirk kicked up a giant cloud of dust which concealed his movements.

* * *

Yumi drew back her hand and brought it down on Bruno's neck. Although the blow was non- fatale, it did succeed in knocking him out thus officially ending their fight.

"That was easy," Yumi said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She looked over towards the boys to see how they were doing. She was horrified to see Clayton pick up Ulrich with one arm as if he was a rag doll.

"ULRICH!" she cried out, hoping that the boy was still conscious.

* * *

Ulrich struggled to break free from Clayton's vice-like grip as it constricted around his neck, but it was too tight.

"So Ulrich" Clayton said, drawing him closer to his face. "Got any last words?"

"..eve...le...oc..er...play...use...gs...n...a...ight," Ulrich whispered.

"What?" Clayton asked with a raised eyebrow and subconsciously loosened his hold on Ulrich's neck.

"I said, never let a soccer player use his legs in a fight!"

"What does that mean?"

"THIS!"

Using Clayton's arm for leverage. Ulrich lifted his right leg and swung it sideways at Clayton's face. The kick knocked Clayton senseless as his head recoiled sideways. He released Ulrich from his choke hold before crumbling to the floor in a dazed heap.

"How's THAT for a hit big guy," Ulrich said, still recovering his breath.

Yumi ran over to Ulrich's side to see if he was ok and was relieved to see that he only suffered minor injuries. The two then turned towards Jin's fight and hoped that he would emerge victorious also.

* * *

Jin stood in the dust cloud and patiently waited for Dirk to attack.

"Ok Jin," he thought to himself. "Just remember what Master Sun wrote."

Dirk quietly crept up from Jin's back hoping to get the first strike. His hopes were dashed when he stepped on a branch that was concealed from his view.

CRACK!

"Throw sand from the east and attack from the west!" Jin yelled out, quoting a passage from his favorite book Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

Jin heard the noise behind him and shot out a high kick behind him striking Dirk in the face. Dirk was not expecting an attack at that moment as was caught completely by surprised by Jin's counter as he felt his foot strike his face. The dust settled and revealed a beaten Dirk on the floor. Jin walked over to him and picked him up by his collar once more and drew his fist back.

"Now it's your turn Dirk!" Jin yelled his voice filled with rage as he looked like he was going to kill someone. Dirk, fearing for his life, closed his eyes and prepared for his inevitable mauling. Jin threw out his fist but stopped just centimeters away from its destined target. Dirk looked on still fearful of what Jin was capable of. All of a sudden, he saw a finger extend from Jin's fist flicking him on the forehead causing him to pass out from fright.

Jin surveyed the scene and called out to his friends, "Anyone injured back there?"

"Don't worry Aniki, no one is seriously hurt." Yumi yelled back.

Odd looked around at all the carnage that was caused. "Seesh, if I'm ever in trouble, remind me to call you guys. Heck, even Jeremie did some damage."

Yumi wiped her hands clean from any dust and spoke, "I really hated doing that. I wish there was another way we could have solved that."

"Me too," Ulrich said who was dusting his hands off. "Fighting XANA's monsters is easy. These guys are the real challenge."

"Who knew that Dirk had it in him?" Jin stated checking to see if he experienced as serious injuries. "That guy must have been reading The Art of War also if he was able to execute a plan like that."

"I just hope," Yumi bowed her head down, "That they learn from this experience and not try this again."

"Me too sis. Looks like we're making more enemies by the day, both computer and human."

"YO GUYS!" Odd yelled catching the attention of everyone within earshot.

"You said we were gonna get some chow and still hungry!"

Ulrich then placed his hand on his stomach, "Odd has a point, I'm starving also."

Yumi and Jin exchanged smiles as they both began to form a similar plan in their heads.

"Race you guys!" They both said in union as the sprinted past the other three.

"Oh you're on now!" Odd yelled back as he Jeremie and Ulrich followed closely behind them.

END

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter:**

Now some of you are wonder why I wrote and chapter 1.5 instead of going straight into chapter two. I did that for two reasons. First, episode one left many conflicts that needed to be resolved plus I wanted to dedicate a FULL chapter to Jin induction into the group. Now on the whole Michael Jackson thing. For my Junior prom last year, I dressed in the outfit that Jin wore in my last chapter and I learned how to dance like Michael Jackson. I thought it would be a cool thing to stick in the fic just for a chuckle.

Ok now the fight scene at the middle and end might generate a few negative comments from the crowd and that's understandable but just hear me out ok. When I wrote that scene I felt like I was taking a risk cause I heard from Code Lyoko fans that they wanted for scenes of the heroes kick butt out side of Lyoko. If you didn't like it don't worry, this isn't going to happen very often I' know for sure that I'm going to write another one for Image Problem but that's a long way from here.

Thanks to Dr. Thinker, I decided to revamp Dirk's character and leave Clayton more like the quiet strong-armed enforcer. I really tried to show through the scenes that he was in Dirk's anger management issues along with his arrogant personality. Personally I enjoyed writing those scenes because I think that if you make a bad guy worth hating then you're one step closer to becoming a good writer.

I have other original episodes that I have in mind are they're pretty original as well. So yeah thanks for taking the time to read my work and please leave a review. It lets me you that you guys are actually reading it.


	3. Episode 2: Seeing is Believing

**Words from the Author: **

Thanks again for reading the second chapter of my series. Although not that many people are reading this story, I am glad for the strong following that I've developed, which is mainly the people who have been leaving me reviews. As of right now, you are reading the largest Code Lyoko fanfic on which was no easy feat for me to accomplish. Please enjoy this chapter and if you like it, spread the word around. I would love to share my work with more people.

* * *

Episode 2: Seeing is Believing

"This has got to be the longest class period that I've ever had," Odd mumbled to himself.

Currently he was in Mrs. Hertz's physics class, his last class before lunch, and was bored out of his mind. It wasn't that he hated the subject, it was just that he had a hard time focusing on the lesson plan today. One top of the usual lecture Mrs. Hertz's would give to her students on a daily basis, she decided to invite a "special guest" to talk to the class today, Dr. Delakar . He was from the local power plant and could be best be described as having a personality of a doorknob on his best days. With the aid of Mrs. Hertz and her slide projector, he began to speak to the class about the "wonders" of the place he works at.

Things were unusually quiet at Kadic Junior High. XANA had been quiet recently and now it's been two weeks since he had his "little" teddy bear attack the school. XANA's little hiatus has given the group an allusion of a "normal life" as they were now able to focus on their school work much to Odd's disliking. It wasn't that he was bored or anything, it was just that he enjoyed the rush of combat in Lyoko just a little more than his friends. When the adrenaline was pumping through his veins, Odd usually felt like he could take on the world and on many occasions he tried. Jeremie stood up next to him and asked a question further reminding him that he was still indeed in school.

"Dr. Delaker, I was wondering if there was a way to fuse virtual particles so that they could be materialized in the real world?"

To the untrained ear, Jeremie's question seamed a little out of place in their current discussion about the nuclear power plants. However, Odd knew better.

"Tsk, Aelita's materialization.," he whispered to himself still staring off into space. "Real subtle there Einstein."

Dr. Delaker was slightly taken back by the absurdity of the young boy's question. He tried his best to contain his amusement before giving him a very straight-faced answer. "Though I admire your imagination, your question is more based on fantasy rather than fact."

The rest of the class had no trouble in expressing their feelings toward Jeremie's question and that feeling that was being exhibited was laughter. Pure inhibited laughter.

"Aw man, what a loser!" Clayton said holding his sides, "Somebody has been watching Tron too many times!"

Dirk soon joined in with the insults as well. "Next thing you know, that nerd is going to start asking if his Dungeons and Dragon's character would be able to come to life!"

"Don't worry Jeremie," Odd said as he patted his shoulder. "It's like what they say. There is no such thing as a stupid question." With that said Odd glared at the back of the room effectively stopping the laughing fit.

Jeremie recovered from his social embarrassment and expressed his words of gratitude.

"Thanks Odd."

"By the way, how much longer till class ends, I can't wait to get to lunch. "Odd whispered to his companion.

"Fifteen minutes," he answered not surprised by his friend's hunger attack.

"Oh don't forget, we're all gonna meet together about our little side project."

"I won't"

Odd pulled out a sheet of paper and began writing on it. From Mrs. Hertz's vantage point, it looked like he was being a dutiful student who was painstakingly taking notes, but in reality he was just drawing a picture of Kiwi to kill time.

Mr. Delaker resumed his presentation once the laughter died down allowing silence to return to the room once more. "Next slide please."

Mrs. Hertz pressed the small red button once more expecting the next slide to show up on the projector, but it never came. "Hmm" Mrs. Hertz pondered the fate of the missing slide. "Must be a slight power outage, don't worry."

The "slight" power outage was small enough to cause a look of worry on Jeremie's face. Odd didn't see the dire emergency in the mechanical failure as he was too busy thinking of the great time he was going to have outside of class that day. For Odd, the peacefulness of everyday life proved to be a little too boring for his taste. He was looking for something exciting to do, something that would recreate the adrenaline rush he felt when he was in Lyoko combating the forces of XANA. Escape was provided to him in the form of his group's side project. Prospects of working on it after school made Odd extra anxious as he watched the minute hand of the class room's clock tick by, drawing him ever so closer to the end of the day. The idea for this subject came to Odd one day when all his friends decided to pay him a visit in his room.

* * *

"And his name is Kiwi?" Jin asked looking at the peculiar looking dog that Odd had managed to sneak into his room, "Looks more like a pineapple to me...or maybe a banana."

"Well his name is Kiwi and that's that," Odd replied trying to defend his dog's feelings.

Yumi was holding a tennis ball with one hand and was throwing it against the wall while watching Kiwi try to catch the round object to pass the time.

"You know what I've noticed guys?"

"What?" They all asked at the same time.

"XANA's been really quiet recently."

"Yeah I know," Ulrich said as he leaned against the back wall of his room. "But it's kind of nice not having to worry about him on a constant basis. We could all use a vacation, especially from him."

"I don't know guys. Maybe he's just plotting another attack and could strike at any given moment," Jeremie said trying to be the voice of reason.

"Or maybe, when he found out that I joined your team he got scared and ran away," Jin said, providing his own explanation for the awkward peacetime that they were experiencing.

"Suuuuuuure and after that Sissy is going to be the next Mother Teresa," Odd chuckled.

"Hey it could happen."

"What, XANA running away or Sissy being a patron saint?"

Too busy in thought, Yumi lost control of her throw causing the tennis ball to veer off course and into the dorm's closet. Kiwi, not knowing better chased after it, disappearing into the black void of the closet's shadow.

"Hey Kiwi get out of there," Odd said trying his best to control his dog.

"Don't worry. It was my fault. I'll go get him for you." Yumi stepped into Odd and Ulrich's closet and found Kiwi huddled in the corner right next to a long object that caught her attention. "What's this?" Yumi thought to herself and she grabbed the object's handle and brought it to the light.

"Hey Odd, I didn't know you played," Yumi said as she revealed the mysterious item that she was holding, a black electric guitar.

"Well you do now."

"Then how come we don't see you with your guitar more often?"

"It's very hard to play in here with Jim patrolling the floors like a hawk. Plus I prefer to practice alone."

Yumi's interest was sparked and wondered if there were any other surprises that the closet held. She threw the doors wide open and returned to the location where she found Odd's guitar and found another piece of musical treasure.

"Now this is something!" Yumi yelled from the confines of the closet. "Who here plays the keyboard?"

"That would be me," Ulrich answered back.

"Ulrich!"

"Before I moved into the school, I used to take piano lessons back home. Seeing how I couldn't carry around our grand piano everywhere, my parents bought me a keyboard so I could still brush up on my lessons."

"Looks like you do learn something new every day huh?" Jin commented "So how long have you been tinkering with the ivory keys?"

"I started when I was six so that's about seven years."

"How strange, Yumi's been taking singing lessons ever since she was six too."

"Jin, don't put me on the spot like that!" Yumi said slightly embarrassed about the tidbit of information that Jin released to the general public.

"Don't worry Yumi," Ulrich said trying to calm her down. "You shouldn't be ashamed of that. I bet you that because of your lessons you can now carry a tune a whole lot better than most people."

"Thanks"

Jin had a crazy idea in his head. Knowing full well of its absurdity, Jin decided to share it with the rest of the group for fun.

"I'm thinking out loud here but you know what would be really cool? If you, Odd and Ulrich could find some song to play together"

Odd's eyes lit up with excitement as he heard Jin's "suggestion". "Yeah like a real band! I always wanted to do something like that! Just think of the possibilities!"

"A band huh?" Ulrich said, raising one eyebrow, "Sounds like fun. Ok I'm in."

"Me too," Yumi then turned toward Jeremie. "What about you Jeremie, do you have any musical talents that you're hiding from us?"

"Sorry Yumi, all my talents are limited to school and Lyoko."

"Really, that's a shame, because Aniki here..."

"Ssssshhh," Jin hushed to interrupt Yumi. "What I mean is...Aniki here is also musically untalented."

"Except for dancing"

"Except for dancing." Yumi looked over at all the instruments in the room. "Wait a minute guys. We can't start a band now. We have no drummer. How are we going to find one?"

"We'll just hold an audition for one," Odd said full of glee. He couldn't believe it, he was actually going to be in a band.

"Just one problem guys," Jeremie said bringing up an unforeseen problem. "The principal is not going to just sit there idly by and let us hold a band tryout on campus.

"Then we'll just have to ask him," Odd said, giving the most obvious answer.

Jeremie adjusted his glasses to they would fit better on his face. "Fine by me. Why don't you and Yumi handle that. I mean it was both your ideas."

"Sure thing Einstein."

"Ok guys it's official," Yumi recapped. "We're going to be a band. This is going to be SO cool."

Jin silently observed the conversation until he realized that a critical issue had yet to be addressed by the others, so he took it upon himself to do it for them.

"Hold it guys aren't you missing something."

"Like what?" Odd asked still caught up in the excitement of the moment. "We got our instruments, our singer, heck we even going to get permission to perform at school. What are we missing?"

"A name"

"You raise a good point Jin. What should our name be? Any suggestions guys?"

The rest of the group was now in deep thought.

"Well I want a name that gives the band an upbeat image," Odd said throwing his opinion into the mix.

"Whatever floats your boat," Ulrich said, shrugging his shoulders.

"How about the Pop Rock Progressives!" Yumi suggested.

"Now that's a good name sis. How did you come up with it?" Jin commented on Yumi's selection.

"Well I knew that we would mostly be playing pop rock and I just threw in the word progressive just to make the name sound cooler."

"I got a name too!" Odd exclaimed, snapping his fingers as the moment of enlightenment hit him. "ANAX!"

"ANAX?" The group asked wondering about the name's origins.

"It's XANA but spelled backwards."

"I have to admit, ANAX sounds pretty cool also," Jin said as he compared the two names together.

"What about you Ulrich?" Yumi asked, "Should we be the Pop Rock Progressives or ANAX?"

"How about you guys vote on it?"

"Fine. Jeremie, what's your vote going to be, ANAX or The Pop Rock Progressives?"

"I'm not really part of the band so I'm backing out of this vote."

"Ditto for me." Jin said raising his arms up in his defense.

"Ok Ulrich, it's between you, me and Odd so...what's your choice?"

"It doesn't really matter to me. That's for you and Odd to decide."

Yumi and Odd were now charged with the burden to choose a name for the band. However with only two people the only outcome of them voting would be a tie. Jin stepped forward and offered his own solution.

"There's only one way we could solve this."

"And what way is that?"

"The best way one can solve any problem. We'll use some old fashioned school yard justice...ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!"

"Let's do it then." Odd said as he drew back his hand and prepared his move. Yumi followed suit. "Ok, ready?"

"ONE, TWO, THREE." they yelled at the same time before revealing their choices. Odd shot his hand forward with two outstretched fingers while Yumi just held her 's tight in a fist.

"Rock beats scissors. Pop Rock Progressives it is"

Despite losing the match and his opportunity to name the band, Odd didn't look disappointed at all. Ulrich was the first to notice this fact and brought it out in the open.

"Hey Odd what gives? Yumi won the match yet you're not the least bit upset."

"I should have known she would have thrown rock. Earth is her element."

"Look like you told Odd about our little conversation about Taoism huh Ulrich?" Yumi said knowing full well the subject he was referring to.

"Hey its fascinating stuff. I had to share the knowledge."

"Well it's been fun talking to you guys but Jin and I have to get home. We'll talk more about the band tomorrow. See you later guys."

"See you later Yumi." Odd watched the two siblings walk out of his door while he waved goodbye.

* * *

RING!

The school bell rang, disrupting Odd's moment of reflection and brining him back down to reality.

"Ok class see you tomorrow, with that, you are dis..." Mrs. Hertz was soon interrupted by Odd's shouting.

"WAHOO!" Odd yelled as he bolted out the classroom door.

"Ulrich, Jeremie, what's gotten into Odd?" Mrs. Hertz asked wondering about his strange behavior.

"He's just really hungry today" Ulrich said unsure of his own answer.

"Well alright, see you tomorrow boys." Mrs. Hertz waved to them goodbye and began to pack her things as well.

"So Ulrich, how long do you think it will take for Odd to calm down?" Jeremie asked, confused by Odd's behavior.

"Don't worry Jeremie I'm sure he'll clam down eventually...I think...I hope...I pray."

Odd ran down the hallway as he began his search for a special pair of fraternal twins.

* * *

It was weird having Jin back in her life. For all this time, she was used to walking down the halls of Kadic Junior High alone, except when she was in the company of her friends. Now there was some always with her providing her with company on a constant basis. Jin's first real day of school was an unusual day indeed. He decided to come dressed in a black turtle neck and jeans making it painfully obvious that the two were brother and sister. Because of the entrance he made when he first showed up and the performance he gave at prom, he had an easier time making friends. He was either known as "Yumi's Brother", "The Michael Jackson Kid" or her personal favorite "The Dirk and Clayton Slayer".

"So Jin, are you excited about today?" Yumi asked not bothering to look at his face and continued to stare straight ahead during her walk. She waited a few moments and prepared for his answer but was confused when she didn't receive one. Thinking that Jin simply didn't hear her question, she asked again. "So Jin, are you excited about today?" she said slightly louder to make sure that he heard her this time but still she got no response. She finally turned toward his direction and saw that he had his headphones on and was singing to himself.

_'Cause this is thriller, thriller night  
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strikeYou know it's thriller, thriller night  
You're fighting for life inside a killer, thriller tonight_

Yumi stared at the sight for a few moments and sighed to herself. Sometimes she wished that Jin's personality would hold more similarities to hers. Yumi was surprised to see how quickly Jin adjusted to his life back home. Smiling to herself, Yumi grabbed Jin's headphones and removed them from his head promptly ending his singing.

"Aniki, don't you know that there are people here giving you strange looks?"

"Ah let them stare, I'm just having a good time that's all. No harm in that."

"Still the same goofy boy who left home two years ago."

"Least now I'm that goofy boy who can save the world."

Odd found the two individuals he was looking for and stopped his sprint.

"Yumi, Jin" Odd said frankly, hiding his enthusiasm.

"Hello Odd" Jin replied in the same cold tone of voice.

The two of them stood there for a couple of moments each giving the other an icy stare until neither one of them could contain their excitement any longer.

"TRY OUTS TODAY!" The two boys yelled out startling Yum.

"Wait a minute Aniki. You're not even in our band. Why are you so excited?"

"Don't know but Odd's letting me watch the auditions for my input. Remember you gotta please the average spectator and that's me."

"Aniki, there is nothing average about you," Yumi jested. "Now let's go guys. Jeremie and Ulrich are waiting for us."

It was just a simple power outage, the whole event didn't even last a minute and the only damages that were caused was a delayed slide in a presentation. However, no matter how insignificant the event seamed, Jeremie couldn't shake his apprehension as he continued to think that it was another XANA attack.

"XANA has been quiet for about two weeks. This has to be his handiwork Ulrich."

"And I say that it was just a simple power outage."

"What about XANA?" Yumi asked quickly entering herself into the conversation. Odd and Jin appeared shortly after and were apparently having discussion of their own. "Look if we're going to talk about XANA , can we at least do that outside? This hallway is full of people and anyone of them could be eavesdropping on us."

Complying with her demands, the group walked outside into a quiet area. Checking if the coast was clear Yumi then resumed the conversation.

"Ok Ulrich, what's going on?"

"We had a small blackout in our class and Jeremie is already assuming that XANA is behind it."

"Come on guys, XANA been a little too quiet as of lately. He won't just give up without putting up a fight" Jeremie said in his own defense.

Jin reflected upon this newfound knowledge before he spoke, "Jeremie does raise a good point. It's been a little too quiet here. One of us should check this out just incase. You always got to be prepared for something like this."

"I'll go to my room and ask Aelita to scan Lyoko for me. See you later guys." Jeremie then ran off toward the direction of the dorms now determined to find to root of this problem.

Jeremie's place in the conversation was soon replaced by the school principal as he began to question the group.

"Odd, Yumi, I've decided to allow your band to play here. The Fox Trout Fanatics."

"It's Pop Rock Progressives sir and thank you for allowing us to play."

"Just remember you have to let anyone who wants to try out to do so. You can't play favorites here. These positions must be opened for everyone."

"We'll keep that in mind sir. Have a nice day." Yumi waved goodbye to principal as the rest of the group watched him walk away.

* * *

Since the school experienced a sudden power outage so that seamed like an obvious place to check, the school's electricity grid. Jeremie scanned through the electric reports like a man on a mission determined to find something that would pose as a threat.

"Jeremie is there something wrong?" Aelita asked now concerned for her friend. Only the clicking of Jeremie's keyboard gave her any indication that he even alive. "You know, if you are troubled then you could always talk to me." Aelita was fully aware of the countless hours and sleepless nights that Jeremie invested in trying to materialize her. However, she didn't just ask this question out of obligation. To her, Jeremie was another part of her and most important of all her "friend". Friend, she liked how that word sounded and the meaning it carried as she promise herself to keep all the friends she had and to make new ones.

"AH HA!" Jeremie exclaimed as he found a potential source of the problem. "A large amount of electricity has been gathering near the school but for what reason? Does XANA need to power something or is he just going for a simple blow out?" Jeremie looked up at Aelita and flashed her a small smile. "Thanks for you offer Aelita, I'll keep that in mind. How are things in Lyoko, any pulsations?"

"Everything is normal here."

"Strange, well I'm going to lunch. They're serving Brussels sprouts today."

"Are they good? I've never really tasted them before."

"It's pretty hard for me to describe it to you since you don't have to eat in Lyoko but let me just say that I enjoy eating them very much."

* * *

"Brussels sprouts! YUCK!"

Ulrich pushed his tray away in disgust, he never really did like Brussels sprouts but fortunately for him there was someone in front of him who did.

"Hey Ulrich are you going to finish those?"

Ulrich slid the try of uneaten sprouts in front of him allowing Jeremie to dine on his leftovers. "I don't see what you like about them so much. I really hate the taste"

"Oh come on Ulrich, you just gotta give them a chance."

"I still find it weird that you were asking me for food. That question is usually reserved for Odd."

Jeremie scanned the table and noticed that two people were currently missing. "Speaking of Odd, where is he?"

"He's with Jin passing out flyers over there."

Jeremie looked up and saw the two students in question giving out flyers to anyone that was in close proximity.

* * *

"Tryouts at the gym today. If you're interested, we really need a drummer!"

Odd was on fire. So far, during lunch, he was able to pass out half the total flyers he had printed out the night before without breaking a sweat. His streak soon ended once he caught sight of Nicholas' outstretched hand just begging to be filled. Odd looked at Nicholas for a few moments before turning his back away in disgust. So one could imagine the shock on his face when he saw Jin give him the piece of paper.

"Why did you do that!" Odd asked slightly angrily.

"Chill out Odd. I'm just doing this so that way Sissi doesn't bust us. Think of it, first we turn down Nicholas. Then Sissi's goes to her father screaming "Daddy they were so mean to Nicholas" Next thing you know, The Pop Rock Progressives goes poof in the blink of an eye. Besides this is Nicholas we're talking about, how good is he going to be?"

"You're right Jin, thanks for looking out for us."

"Don't mention it." Jin looked up and saw Clayton and Dirk make their way through the cafeteria. "Now, if you turn these guys down, that would be understandable."

Dirk snatched a flyer out of Odd's hand and began reading it silently.

"Band tryouts today huh? Maybe we will show up?"

"Sorry Dirk, we don't need anyone to play the crash cymbals."

"What the heck does that mean Ishiyama?"

Jin was known for his strange remarks but not even Odd was able to understand the joke that Jin cracked.

"I'm surprised that you don't know Dirk. You see, monkeys and cymbals were made for each other."

Jin set down the stack of flyers that he was holding and opened his eyes and wide as he could. He then flashed a large toothy grin and clapped his arms like a seal in his best effort to imitate the famous windup toy.

Clayton's fist had finally healed just a few days ago and how lucky for him that he got the opportunity to test it out at this given moment.

"Clayton, you wouldn't be thinking about punching me again in front of all these people now would you?"

Clayton stopped his attack to think of the consequences.

"Let me give you the play by play. First you will try to swing at my face again, an attack that I can dodge easily. Then I'll fire a roundhouse kick to your gut knocking the wind out of you causing you to fall over. Dirk will then get all irate and try to knock me out, at that moment I'll launch another roundhouse but this time I'll aim a little higher and strike the sucker right in the face and he'll just topple over like a ton of bricks. Jim will then come in and see your battered bodies and will ask what happened. At that moment I will have about..." Jin looked around at the cafeteria's occupants. "Oh about three-hundred plus witnesses that would say that you hit first. So not only would you get another beating, but also to add insult to injury, an explosion."

Clayton unclenched his fist admitting defeat and, along with Dirk, walked away.

"You handled that one peacefully this time. Even Dirk walked away without saying a word."

"You just gotta know how to talk to people. Plus Dirk didn't want me to kick his face in again but don't think this is over. Dirk is plotting something as we speak, he always is."

* * *

"In times of great strength, show your enemy weakness," Dirk quoted a passage from The Art of War to himself as he and Clayton walked away from Odd and Jin.

"What does that mean Dirk?"

"It means when you know you have the upper hand in a conflict, you act like you're about to lose, luring the enemy into a false sense of security right before you size the moment."

"And what does this have to do with us?"

"Jin _thinks_ he has me beat, but I'm just getting started. Why don't we pay our "respects" at the tryouts later today." Dirk chuckled to himself as he thought of the marvelous plan he was about to execute on the hopeful band.

* * *

"And I say I don't care how much you like them Jeremie. I just don't share your love for Brussels sprouts."

Yumi buried her face into her palm in disbelief. She couldn't believe for the entire time she was sitting here. Ulrich and Jeremie were talking about, above all things, _Brussels sprouts_.

"And I think that you're being a little too closed minded to the subject."

"So sis, what are they talking about now?"

Yumi was surprised with Jin's sudden entrance. "Oh it's you Aniki. Can you believe this, for the entire time you and Odd were passing out flyers those two have been talking about Brussels sprouts!"

"What's wrong with Brussels sprouts?"

"There's nothing _wrong_ with them. I think they're ok to eat and are a great source for vitamins, but when you have an entire conversation based off of them then we got some problems."

"Speaking of getting your daily dose of vitamins, passing out all those flyers really made me hungry." Odd looked up at Jeremie and Ulrich. "Hey guys! I'm heading to the vending machines outside. Want to come?"

"Sure Odd, whatever those vending machines have will certainly taste better then Jeremie's sprouts."

Jeremie just shrugged his shoulders at the cheap shot Ulrich threw at him and followed the group outside.

* * *

"What's it gonna be...so many choices." Odd said hunched over at the machines buttons trying to get a better view of his "menu".

"So Aniki, what was the overall response to our flyers?" Yumi asked wanting to participate in a conversation that did not contain a little green vegetable from the capital of Belgium.

"Pretty smoothly until Dirk and Clayton decided to pay their "respects" I'd watch out for those two."

"You don't need to tell me twice."

Odd was too busy trying to make a selection to care. "What's it going to be?...what's it going to be?"

Ulrich really wanted Odd to make a decision already. He too was hungry and wanted Odd to move away from the machine. There were other people who wanted to eat, mainly himself. A then impatient Ulrich extended his arm and pressed a random button on the machine and waited for its contents to fall into Odd's cup.

"Hey you pressed soup! That stuff taste like moldy bread."

"Well you should have made your choice sooner"

Odd lifted his cup from the machine and found it surprisingly empty. Checking it, he found that there were only a few drops of actual soup in the cup for it was mostly empty. Jeremie was immediately alerted by the machines failure for it to produce the liquid product which Ulrich "suggested" for Odd to buy.

"Twice in one day, this is bad!"

"Oh come on Jeremie," Odd said, throwing his cup into the trashcan. "You've been on edge recently. If Kiwi were to suddenly sneeze you would blame that on XANA too."

"I don't know Odd" Jin said with his arms flooded across his chest." Like I said this morning, I don't think our worst enemy's hiatus would last this long. Maybe Jeremie should check this one out."

Jeremie thought of a plan while Odd and Jin were speaking to each other. "Ok guys listen up. I'm heading back to my room to scan Lyoko again if I find anything strange, I'll call you. Good luck with the tryouts, hope you find someone good." Jeremie said nothing more and ran off to his room.

* * *

Mike approached the drum set and wrapped his hands around the sticks. Clicking them together a few times for good luck he began to play his heart out. He only had thirty seconds to impress the group of judges so he knew he couldn't waste his time. Mike kept the beat in his head while his hands brought it out for all to hear. He was playing like a demon crashing every snare, every tom, tom, every high hat with an almost animal-like instinct as his primal rage brought him to his climax. Giving the cymbal one last hit for the road, Mike stood up and gave his audience a bow thanking them for their time.

Yumi was the first to provide her evaluation. "That was pretty good Mike. Your style...it's heavy metal correct?"

Mike shot out a look of confidence as he stuck out his chest and pointed at it with his thumb.

"Of course, no other style comes close baby."

"Yes but we were looking for something a little more...um...traditional," Yumi said struggling to find the right word to describe what she had in mind. "But I'm sure if you keep drumming like that, you'll find a band to play for sooner or later."

Mike was stunned, he thought for sure that he had won them over with his drum solo. Hanging his head in shame, he walked out of the room."

"Who knew he had it in him?" Ulrich said once he was confident that Mike left the room. "That guy acts like he's possessed by the devil when he plays. That was some CRAZY stuff huh guys?"

Both Odd and Jin hung their heads down low and placed their heads in their palms. "This is going to be harder that I thought." They both said as they waited for the next hopeful.

* * *

"Hello Jeremie, how were your Brussels sprouts?" Aelita asked wondering about the dish that her friend enjoyed eating.

"I'd love to answer that question Aelita but I got a potential crisis on my hands. First off, how are things looking in Lyoko?"

"Nothing has changed. I haven't felt any pulsations yet."

"This has to be XANA. I just know it."

"Well maybe..." Those were the only words he heard from Aelita as he saw his computer screen turn black. "What the!"

This was the third power outage in less than two hours. Jeremie checked his lamp on his desk to see if this was either him having a broken computer or another blackout. He flipped the switch and the latter proved true.

"It's about time I get to the bottom of this!" Jeremie said to himself as he ran down the stairway to check on the school's pylon. He looked to the sky and saw a huge electrical field emitting from the object in question. Its blue sparks created a light show that was both as beautiful as well as it was deadly. Jeremie stood on the other side of the school's chain-linked watching the whole spectacle before him with a look of pure fascination and horror. He managed to break free from the hypnotic sight and uttered a small single-syllable word underneath his breath.

"XANA"

* * *

A young girl wearing a short-skirt and a simple tank top walked into the gym and prepared for herself for her moment in the sun.

"Hello Odd," Naomi greeted the boy with a smile that seamed to both radiate around the room and put Odd under its mercy.

"Hi Naomi," Odd said weakly, enchanted by the girls presence so are you going to try out for our band?"

"Of course."

Naomi approached the drum set and wielded the sticks in her hands. She closed her eyes before beginning her solo. Naomi struggled as she attempted the daunting task of both pumping for the peddle for the base drum with her foot and maintaining a consistent rhythm using the snares and high hats. Her performance contrasted greatly with Mike's. While his solo was bold and unrelenting, Naomi's sounded meek and passive. Unfortunately for her, there was one more aspect in which they differed immensely, talent. Mike sounded like a battle hardened veteran while Naomi came off looking like a green rookie just getting used to the game. Naomi placed her sticks down and flashed Odd another warm smile before speaking.

"So, am I in?"

There were many things one could say about Naomi's audition. Using the wide selection of words offered by the English language, the average human being could string together a series of words and exclamations that would be able to express their overall dissatisfaction with Naomi's routine. Currently, Odd was participating in this delicate process cutting and pasting his own phrase to deliver to her. However, Odd's reaction was everything but expected.

"Bravo! Bravo!"

He gave her a standing ovation.

"Thank you Odd," Naomi said as she bowed toward his direction.

The rest of the group waited until Naomi exited the gym before collaborating for their final decision.

"She was great wasn't she?" Odd asked his friends thoroughly impressed by the lack of talent that Naomi was able to show.

"Odd were you watching the same performance as us!" Ulrich said not believing his ears.

Jin too decided to share his opinions with the misinformed Odd. "I agree with Ulrich. In the words of the great Simon Cowel...that was absolutely horrible." Jin said the last part of his phrase in his best imitation of the British critic which did sound almost like the real deal.

"Ahh you guys are just jealous."

"Jealous!" Ulrich replied back taken by surprise at Odd's statement. "Look can we talk about this later, we got more people who want to audition."

Yumi let out a sigh of despair and was thankful that she wasn't sucked into Odd's fascination with Naomi's drumming "expertise" she silently sat in her chair and prayed that they would find a worthy drummer sometime this century.

"Can this possibly get any worse?" She wondered

"Ahem," came a voice that was all too familiar to the group.

"Looks like it will," Yumi finished her thought and looked up at the group of three students who were currently sitting in front of her. "Can I help you Sissi?"

"Sissi!" Jin said slightly frightened by the girl being there. "Oh God please don't tell me you're going to sing for their band because if you are, I advise everyone to move away from the windows for they will shatter the moment she utters a word in the microphone."

"Real funny Jin, but I'm not here for me."

"That's a first."

"Listen will you!"

"Geez you don't have to yell."

"And you don't have to be a smart alack all the time."

"I'm not a smart alack _all_ the time. That position is reserved for Odd."

"Never mind. As I was saying before I was ever so RUDELY interrupted. I know that both our groups don't see eye to eye on many issues, but I'm here for Nicholas' sake, he just loves to play the drums."

"On what, his mother's pots and pans," Odd joked. "Or maybe on your empty skull Sissi. I bet he gets a nice good hollow knock every time he hits it."

"WILL YOU JUST STOP!"

"Ok then, sheesh"

"I don't have to tell you that my father said that everyone should be able to tryout, and Nicholas is no different."

"Ok Sissi you win." Ulrich said trying to keep the peace.

Nicholas placed the drumsticks in his hand one at a time and began to play. Warming up with a crisp drum roll, he began to work the peddle to the bass drum providing a nice consistent back beat to play over. Handling both the snares and cymbals with ease Nicholas let lose a drum solo that was both fast paced while at the same time smooth and elegant.

It was now Yumi, Ulrich and Jin's turn to give a standing ovation for that day. The three of them watched the entire performance with their jaws wide open, totally in awe at the sheer amount of prowess that Nicholas wielded. He handled the drum sticks as if they were an extension of his own body rather than just two pieces of small wood. There were only three people in the gym who did not share in their excitement. Odd and...

"That was pretty good Nicholas."

Dirk and Clayton.

"If your definition of good is me wishing that God would take away my hearing so I don't have to endure another note of your playing."

Sissi stood up to defend her friend.

"I don't know what you two bozo's saw, but Nicholas gave it his all and put his very heart and soul in that performance! I don't see you guys doing anything _half_ as good as what my friend accomplished today!"

"I have no time to talk to a stuck up material girl right now." Dirk snapped his fingers and had Clayton shove past Sissi thus allowing him to pass.

Jin sat relatively close to the two bullies and strongly considered grabbing metal chair he sat on and using it to smack Clayton and Dirk around for disrespecting Sissi like that. He still remembered the act of kindness she showed toward him when he was lying on his back on the verge of unconsciousness during the last XANA attack. She went out of her way to both try to save him and warn his sister about his current condition. Although his group of friends would tease her on a frequent basis, it was noting too serious. Now having your strong arm thug shove someone out of your way through because you were too lazy to just walk around a single person, that's enough of a reason to allow Dirk's face meet metal. However, Jin soon abandoned his plan since he did not wanting to start a brawl that would tarnish the band's reputation, Jin calmly stood up and talked to the both of them.

"So what brings you two here?"

"Nothing much Ishiyama. Just selling insurance."

"Insurance?"

"Yes you see, although your friend's band is pretty sub par, I would really hate to see something bad happen to it."

Whatever feelings of anger that Jin was hiding, Yumi expressed it for him as she challenged her two enemies. "What do you exactly mean?"

"It's simple my dear Yumi. You and I both know that the resources that I possess at this school are virtually endless. If you wish to grant your band complete safety, then I highly suggest purchasing insurance from us to prevent any more visits from any "unexpected" strangers."

Ulrich stood straight up after hearing that remark. "That's really low Dirk, even for you. Where did you get your inspiration for this scheme of yours, old gangster flicks?"

"I assure you Ulrich. This is no laughing matter. I highly suggest complying with our demands or else."

"Or else what!" Boomed a gruff voice from the other side of the building which came out more as a statement rather than a question.

"Jim!" The three friends said startled by the man's sudden emergence.

"It's nothing Jim. We were just talking about our classes. "Dirk lied, trying to save himself.

"Nothing! Far from it! I've heard your little "proposition" Mr. Al Capone in training. Don't worry kids. I'll let the principal deal with these two."

"Thanks Jim" Yumi said, happy that Jim was in the right place at the right time.

No sooner did Jim leave did Jeremie appear standing in the doorway and out of breath.

"Jeremie, what's wrong?" Yumi asked preparing herself for some bad news.

"It's XANA, he's storing energy in the school's pylon and is planning something sinister with it! I'm going to the factory for more information. I'll keep you posted."

"Good luck," Yumi watched Jeremie leave just as quickly as he came.

Odd still had some unfinished issues to attend to.

"Ok guys who is going to be our drummer?" "Isn't it obvious Odd?"

Ulrich answered first, "It's most definitely Nicholas. He's really good."

"NICHOLAS! You're kidding me right! There is no chance in Hades that I'm going to let that red running shorts wearing, Sissi lackey in our band!"

"But he's an awesome drummer."

"Naomi is way better then he is. She's just a little rusty, give her sometime."

Seeing how Jeremie was absent at this given moment, Jin decided to be the temporary voice of reason.

"Listen Odd, the purpose of these tryouts is to find the best drummer we can find and I'd hate to admit it, but Nicholas is the best."

"Who's asking you! You can't even play a musical instrument so why should we even consider your opinion! Here's my offer, if you want Nicholas so badly then you can have him, but you're gonna have to deal with not having me as lead guitar player."

"Playing hardball huh Odd? Well I have an offer of my own. If you keep acting like that Odd, you're going to lose your lead singer." Yumi retorted by making an ultimatum of her own.

Just when it looked like that the Pop Rock Progressives were going to separate before making their first song, Jim returned to the gym holding his precious instrument.

"By any chance do you guys think you could use a slide trombone player?"

* * *

Jeremie had safely managed to get to the factory's computer in on piece and was in the process of contacting his virtual companion.

"Aelita, sorry about the sudden disconnection but I think XANA has launched another attack!"

"You were right Jeremie. I'm beginning to feel the pulsations here on Lyoko. What could XANA want with all that electricity?"

Jeremie wanted that question answer also. Once again he brought up a map of the city's power grid and sure enough, he saw that one of the pylons was storing a large amount of electricity. Jeremie clicked on the pylon bringing up its current electrical storage percentage on screen so he could further observe it. A clear red line outlined the path that the electricity was going to be sent outlining its potential target. Seeing the building that XANA intended to destroy, Jeremie reached for his cell phone.

"This is bad, real bad Aelita. I'm going to contact the others. We have to stop this ASAP!"

"Why does XANA want all that electricity?

"HE'S GOING TO BLOW UP THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT!"

* * *

Thoughts of leaving the band and choosing a new drummer were instantly discarded as all four of the judges turned and faced their P.E. teacher.

Ulrich was the first to recover from the initial shock. "Slide trombone?"

"You heard me right, a slide trombone player. I'm really good. You just have to let me in."

Seeing how Jim had just saved the group from another messy Dirk and Clayton encounter, the decided to hear him out seeing how they were some what indebted to him.

"Ok Jim, let's see what you're made off."

Jim readied the instrument and pressed the valve to his lips. Playing an impromptu song Jim's lifted his legs and stomped his feet giving off an indication that he was totally enthralled with his own performance and nothing else. Holding out his last note for a considerable amount of time, Jim relaxed and began to catch his breath.

Odd decided that he would be the one to break the awful news to Jim. "Uhh..Jim, we're a rock band, not a military marching group."

"Hey I demand a spot in your band! I'm your P.E. teacher, incase you forgot!"

Odd suddenly remembered the guidelines the principal set for them and used these same regulations in his favor. "Jim, these tryouts are open for everyone and we can't play favorites. Those were your boss's words, not mine."

Jim stormed out of the room with a mixed feeling of anger, frustration and a little disappointment raging in his gut. Ulrich walked to the gymnasium's doors and peered outside to see if there was anyone left who wanted to try out for their band.

"Looks like were finally done for the day," he said as he stared down the vacant hallway. "Pat yourself on the back guys, that was no cake walk."

Jin stood up as if to check the validity of Ulrich's statement but then made a one-hundred and eighty degree turn and walked toward the stage.

"Hate to crash your celebration Ulrich," Jin said as he removed a black case that he concealed behind the stage curtains. "But I'm afraid you have to sit through one more performance."

"Jin! I didn't know you played anything remotely close to rock and roll, with all that Michael Jackson music you're listening to." Odd said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well my sister almost spoiled the surprise when we were in your room talking about the idea before I hushed her. You see, it was because of the Michael Jackson stuff that I decided to surprise you since I knew you would draw up a conclusion like that."

"Well you got me Jin. Let's see what you got for us. Remember Yumi's brother or not, we still can't play favorites. What position do you want?"

Jin opened the black case and pulled out an acoustic guitar and sat on a nearby stool. "Since you're already playing the lead Odd, I thought I could just settle for playing rhythm guitar."

"Fine by me Jin, play away."

Jin wasted no time and began playing his song. In his true fashion, Jin selected a song that was both cherry and energetic. His fingers danced around the guitar's strings as he began to sing the first verse. Jin's taste in music reflected is offbeat personality.

_I'm so cool, too bad I'm a loser  
I'm so smart, too bad I can't get anything figured out  
I'm so brave, too bad I'm a baby  
I'm so fly, that's probably why it  
Feels just like I'm falling for the first time_

_I'm so clean, it's really amazingI'm so clean, too bad I can't get all the dirt off of me.  
I'm so sane, it's driving me crazy  
It's so strange, I can't believe it  
Feels just like I'm falling for the first time_

The judges were impressed with Jin's playing. Although the song did seam to be difficult, Jin didn't look like he was struggling. In fact, it appeared that he was having the time of his life. His cheerfulness and energy became contagious as the rest of the room was now wearing a smile. The song he choose to play fit him perfectly, as if it was the story of his life. Although Jin was capable of such great acts of heroism, his childish persona counterbalanced his image making him a walking paradox of personalities.

_Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost  
Anyone plain can be lovely, anyone loved can be lost  
What if I lost my direction? What if I lost sense of time?  
What if I nursed this infection? Maybe the worst is behind  
It feels just like I'm falling for the first time  
It feels just like I'm falling for the first time_

Jin continued to play the song, giving it his all and not caring about the outcome but the overall joy he experiences while playing his song. He finished his performance early since he only had thirty seconds and sat down his guitar while wearing a huge grin.

"Wow, where did you learn how to play that!" Ulrich praised while clapping his hands.

"You know how I said Yumi was taking singing lessons since was six years old?"

"Yeah"

"Well our parents didn't want just one of their kids to be musically talented, so I choose to play the guitar at that precious age of nine. Please let me in your band, I promise to be a good little boy."

Before Jin's question was answered, Yumi's cell phone rang.

"Hello Jeremie," Yumi answered guessing the caller's identity.

"You guys need to head over to the factory NOW! We're in some serious trouble," Jeremie yelled from the other line not wasting any time.

"Ok, I'll tell the others, we'll be there shortly just hand tight till then."

Yumi turned off her phone and turned to the rest of the group.

"XANA has activated another tower! We need to get to Lyoko right now!

Odd looked over and Jin and flashed him a smile. "Alright! Not only do I get to go back into Lyoko, but I also get to see what all the fuss is about your character."

* * *

Dave Morgan and his firemen unit were the first to arrive on the scene. Their station was flooded with calls from people in this area complaining about an electrical disturbance. Although they were no electricians, the group knew that this was a potential fire hazard and set off to investigate it. Dave stepped out of the fire truck and began to gaze at the pylon which was storing electricity at a critical level.

"When they called, they said that this was an electrical disturbance. Now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I'd like to say that it's now a full blow emergency!" He grabbed his walkie talkie and began to radio his station for help.

"Hey guys listen it's me, Dave, we need you to try and contact the nuclear power plant so we could cut the power off this live wire."

Dave returned his walkie talkie to its original space and began to collect his team together.

"Listen up. I want everyone here to set up roadblocks all around that thing. Make sure nothing even gets remotely near that pylon. Who knows what will happen if someone were to disturb it

"And what are you going to do?" Asked one of Dave's teammates.

"I'm going to talk to the principal of this school to let him know of the current situation. Stay in touch and be careful. We don't know what that electricity inside that pylon is capable of."

* * *

Dr. Delaker was the first to hear of the firemen's request. Adjusting his glasses, he began to spread the news all over the plant.

"May I have your attention everyone!" He screamed out "We have a power build up in sector seventeen near the school. We've been ordered to shut off all electricity near that area in order to help quell the problem. Time is of the essence people. We need to act fast!"

Admits all the confusion and chaos that the order started, Dr. Delaker was able to keep himself clam and not lose his head over the ordeal. However, there was one man who needed to be informed about the emergency and that man was the principal of the school in which the pylon was located in. Upon receiving this thought, the doctor quickly ran outside and got into his car all in the effort to warn the principal of the potential danger that the school was in.

* * *

"So Jeremie, what did Yumi say?"

"She said that the others would arrive here shortly and we have to just wait until then."

The elevator doors opened in front of Jeremie revealing the four heroes.

"Ok Jeremie" Jin stepped forward "What's XANA up to this time?"

The rest of the group walked over to Jeremie's computer and stared at the screen. A holographic pylon was being displayed along with two numbers that were slowly counting up. At that moment, the counter was at fifty-five percent.

"XANA has been storing electricity in the school's pylon. Currently being shown is the total amount of electricity that's in it. So far, XANA has been able to fill more than half the pylon ever since he executed his plan."

"What happens when the pylon is full?" Jin asked knowing that he was not going to like the answer that he was going to hear.

"XANA will then redirect all the electricity he's stored right at the nuclear power plant causing a meltdown."

"A MELTDOWN! Geez Jeremie you weren't kidding when you said that XANA was planning something big."

Yumi was horrified after hearing XANA's intended target. This has got to be the most dangerous plan that XANA has concocted.

"A meltdown Jeremie! This is REAL serious! Maybe we should tell the others about this?"

"What are you saying Yumi!" Jeremie answered back equally as scared of her suggestion.

"This is really dangerous Jeremie. If we fail, countless people will die and it would be our fault. We might as well tell them that way they can get everyone out of the city and to a safe area."

"But if we tell them about XANA then they'll just simply walk into the factory and unplug him destroying Lyoko and..."

"And Aelita will bite the dust!" Odd said completing Jeremie's statement.

"Correct Odd, we have to keep this under wraps for Aelita's sake."

Yumi was furious with Jeremie's statement. "Listen to yourself Jeremie! We're talking about countless innocent people dying all in the name of us keeping our secret!"

"Fine then Yumi, we'll vote. Those who don't want to raise the alarm hold your hands up right now."

Both Jeremie and Odd raised their hands and said very little to justify their decision. "And all who oppose."

Yumi's hand flew straight up into the air followed closely by Ulrich's.

"Sorry Aelita, but I vote to let them know also," apologized Ulrich.

Yumi recounted the votes in her head. There were five people in the factory and only four hands were raised. Which meant that someone had yet to cast their ballot.

"Aniki! You didn't vote, quick, make a decision!"

Jin raised his arms up and backed himself against the wall as if he were avoiding a confrontation.

"Whoa sis, I'm just the new guy here. I can't throw my weight around here yet. Especially over an issue like this one."

"Then it's settled then" Jeremie said extending his index and middle finger. "Two votes no and two votes yes, we're not going to tell."

"I think it means we should tell!"

"You know Jeremie, for someone deciding the fate of a great number people and a virtual program, you're in a pretty happy mood...Eh?" Odd said sarcastically.

Jin was the only person still paying any attention to the computer screen and the ever increasing count of the pylon's storage.

"Umm...guys" he said nervously "As much as I hate to speed up the Democratic process since it is indeed one of the best forms of government out there, but...THE PYLON IS AT SEVENTY- FIVE PERCENT FULL AND IT'S STILL RISING! So you better make your decision right now or else no one is going to be around to care once your final choice is made!"

Aelita too noticed the stalemate and Jin's cries for action but instead of standing on the sidelines, she resolved to tackle the issue head on.

"Seeing how my existence is the current topic of the debate, do I have a say on what's going on?"

Jeremie looked up at Aelita and flashed her a smile. He knew that she would vote in his favor seeing how the other choice would only bring her immediate death. "Of course it does Aelita. Your opinion always matters. By having you vote, we will break the tie and we can finally draw out a course of action."

"In that case, my vote goes with Yumi and Ulrich."

Jeremie felt as if he a gigantic bucket of cold water was dumped on him. "Aelita, what are you thinking!"

"Jeremie, you know this is the only choice we can make. We've all sworn that we would protect the world against XANA and us warning the people is the only way we can do this. I don't want people to die just so I can live."

Yumi knew the potential sacrifice that her friend was making. "Thanks Aelita, you made the right choice." Yumi said with downcast eyes, "Lets just hope it won't come down to us losing you."

"Thanks for caring Yumi."

"Ok guys, I guess I'll be going then huh?" Yumi stood up and walked toward the elevator and prepared herself to be the angle of bad news.

"Hey sis! Hold it!" Jin soon chased after his sister and was walking side by side with her.

"What is it Aniki?"

"I'm going with you"

"What!"

"Let's just say that your persuasive skills are somewhat lacking."

"Don't sell me short Jin. Remember it was because of Odd and me that we were able to convince the principal to allow us to play at the school remember."

"I remember" Jin opted to use this moment to inject some of his trademark humor into the conversation. "But I bet if I was there, he would have given us the royal treatment and have Jim be our bouncer to prevent anymore Dirk and Clayton incidents."

Yumi giggled to herself as Jin's comment was able to take away some of the edginess of the attack and making the whole ordeal more bearable. "Have it your way Aniki. Now let's get going."

Before Jin left for the outside world, he turned to Odd and left a few parting words for him.

"Sorry man, looks like your going to have to wait for another XANA attack to see me in Lyoko."

Odd was disappointed. Besides the fact that he got to fight in Lyoko again, he was also hoping to see Jin's "interesting" character, looks like he'll have to wait longer.

The elevator's doors closed and began its accent to the surface. Jeremie wasted no time and took charge. "Ulrich, Odd, head to the scanners and get into Lyoko now."

Jeremie sat in his chair once again while the others road the elevator down stairs and entered the scanner room. His fingers danced across the keys as he began the all too familiar process of bringing his friends into Lyoko.

"Transfer Odd, transfer Ulrich."

The doors to the scanners closed as the machines gave off a high-pitched mechanical hum as it was processing Jeremie's command.

"Scanner Odd, scanner Ulrich"

Jeremie scrolled through all the character cards and selected the two profiles that he needed. He hit the return key and sent the information to the scanners who replied back to him by emitting a bright light around Odd and Ulrich.

"Virtualization"

* * *

Odd and Ulrich's bodies slowly began to reform in Lyoko, once the transfer was complete they fell to the Earth and were ready for action.

Ulrich, being the more cautious one, was already scanning the landscape, sword in hand, waiting for XANA minions to show up. Odd on the other hand was a little less focused.

"Aw man, it feels great to be back in Lyoko. I just hope my razor sharp skills haven't dulled due to our break from XANA."

Aelita walked over the group who were currently standing out in the open..

"It's good to see that you're able to make it."

Odd looked up and waved to her. "Hey Aelita, looks like I'm paying the desert region another visit."

Ulrich was still being professional about the whole situation and thought that now was a good time to start looking for the tower. "Do you know where the tower is?"

"Yes, it's in the oasis on that other plateau."

"Well lets get going then!"

* * *

Luckily for Yumi, Jin did listen to her advice and planted his skateboard in the sewer a few days earlier so they could make a quick entrance and exit from the factory. Jin was the first to reach the ladder and was currently lifting the heavy cover that was in his way. Stepping outside he extended his arm to help his sister up. Yumi planted both feet on the floor before resuming her sprint toward the school.

"So sis," Jin said in between breaths. "What's the battle plan?"

"We're first going to tell the principal what's going on, that's what."

"Ok then, but lets try not to tell him about Lyoko right off the bat, just give him the bear facts. Only as a last resort do we tell him anything about the factory, I don't want to jeopardize Aelita's well being so soon."

"Same here Aniki, same here."

Dave Morgan's warning got the results that he desired. He was now in an emergency staff meeting with the principal and Mrs. Hertz in his office to try to come up with a solution to their problem.

"I assure you Mr. Morgan. You have my full cooperation in handling this mess. Whatever resources I possess, I am willing to allow you to use them if it means taming that electrical beast outside."

"That's good to hear, but what about the students?"

"I've sent our P.E. instructor Jim to the dorms and warn the students to stay indoors until further notice. This will eliminate all outside interference and give you ample time to handle this situation accordingly."

"Thank you. This will truly help my men out there."

The door to the office soon opened once more revealing a tall man in a white lab coat.

"Dr. Delaker, what are you doing here?"

"I wish to speak to you about your current electrical problem."

The principal looked at the fireman who he was speaking to "Mr. Morgan, seeing how Dr. Delaker here possesses vast volumes of knowledge on electricity, you should head back outside to help your team. In the meantime, we'll try to get to the bottom of this problem ourselves."

"Ok then."

"Good luck"

Dave soon ran out the door and noticed two teenagers running toward the principal's office. Too concerned about the school's pylon, Dave quickly forgot this sighting.

"Dr. Delaker, what brings you to visit our humble campus once again?"

"I've came to inform you that your current electricity problem had already been dealt with. It was just a minor glitch in our computers."

"But the firemen said that this was a dire emergency."

"Although the excesselectricity does look somewhat...threatening, there is nothing to worry about. We have already turned off the power around this area and eventually that pylon's extra energy will fade away."

"That's a relief to hear."

The principal then received another knock on his door as two more guest entered his office.

"Umm..sir," Yumi said a little uneasily."We got a problem here."

"I appreciate your concern Yumi, but both the firemen and the staff at the power plant have this under control."

"But that's the thing sir," Jin said as he carved his foothold in the conversation. "The problem is everything _but_ under control."

"What's the meaning of this!" The principal asked flabbergasted by the question.

Yumi spoke again, "I don't know how to explain it but the nuclear power plant is danger! We either have to evacuate the city, or drain the pylon of its excess electricity!"

Dr. Delaker took this as his cue to speak once Yumi referenced the plant that he works at. "I assure you everything back at the plant is safe and sound. I should know, I just came back from there myself."

"Yumi, Jin," the principal said in a stern voice. "If this is some sort of ruse to draw our attention from another issue, then you better confess now so your punishments will be less harsh."

"Sir I'm telling you the truth!"

"Listen here young lady! This is an emergency, not some sort of child's game that you have obviously perceived it as. I expect the both of you to be in my office the first thing this morning so I can have a word with you. Now, please leave my office we need to further discuss the situation."

He watched the two twins walk out the door before turning toward Dr. Delaker, "Kids these days" he said jokingly which prompted a forced laugh from the doctor.

* * *

"Don't worry Aniki, once the past gets rested, the principal will forget all about our little conversation."

"I'm not worried about that sis. It's our plan. What are we going to do now?"

"Wait a minute, didn't the principal say that the firemen were here also?"

"Yeah, I remember seeing one run out of his office toward the pylon. He must have been the captain or something like that."

"That it Jin!" Yumi said, surprised by her own answer. "We'll convince the firemen. With them backing up our story, then we can surely evacuate the city!"

"Lead the way sis. I'm right behind you."

They then ran toward the school's gate and hopped that there was still time to act.

* * *

"Johnson, status report!" Dave yelled out as he assumed command of the operation. "What's the situation with the nuclear power plant?"

"Dr. Delaker told us that he already cut the power to this sector and eventually the electricity in the pylon would fade away."

"That's good to hear, how long ago did he cut it?"

"Five hours sir."

"Five hours! That's more than enough time for the power to fade away." Dave stopped speaking once he heard footsteps nearby. He spun around and saw two students run toward his direction.

"What are you two doing outside, I thought the principal said that there wouldn't be students coming down here?"

Jin decided to talk to the fireman this time, hoping for a better outcome than he experienced with the principal. "That's not important here, listen to what I have to say!"

Dave was taken back by the sheer ferocity in Jin's voice. Whatever he had to say, it had to be real important for him to risk his life being here.

"Ok , I'm listening," he said while crossing his arms.

"This may seam a little too far fetched for your taste, but what I'm going to tell you is the truth. The electricity in that pylon is far from dying out. In fact, it's increasing."

"But they cut the power off to this area."

"That's not going to do anything. I'm unsure of the details myself but here's the scary part. Once that pylon is chock full of electricity, it's going to then shoot it all out at the nuclear power plant and blow this entire place to kingdom come!"

Dave took a step back after hearing Jin's warning. Images of a nuclear explosion and people screaming for their lives flooded his mind as he pictured the gruesome sight in all of its unholy glory. He closed his eyes and began to think of a logical explanation.

"Come of Dave snap out of it people are counting on you. You gotta keep your head in the game on this. This is too out there for it to have any basis in reality. The kid must be paranoid, that's it."

Dave straightened himself out as he began to approach the conversation in a professional manner. "Now I know you're worried by all of this but let me assure you. We will stop this problem before it gets out of hand."

"But sir it is out of hand! Lives are at stake! Don't you care about this!"

"Look son, of course I care, I get paid to. Please, just leave this situation to us and go back to your rooms so that you're safe."

"But.."

"And how do you know all of this?"

Now it was Jin's turn to be on the receiving end in the conversation. He_ really _did not want to spill the beans about Lyoko and risk ending Aelita's life. Jin squeezed his fist into a tight ball and shut his eyes, trying to delay the inevitable. He felt a slender arm touch his shoulder causing him to look up at his sister's eyes.

"We have no choice Aniki." Yumi whispered to him, "Don't worry, I'll handle this."

Yumi took one step forward toward the fireman so she could get his attention. Looking him straight in the eye, she began to tell him their secret about Lyoko the same way she did when her group took in Jin as one of their own. She prayed that telling him this would prompt any course of action from the fireman.

"Ok the real culprit here is named XANA. Now XANA is a giant super computer that is currently in an abandoned factory..."

* * *

The fate of the city rested on their shoulders. Aelita's existence hung in the balance and the whole world was counting on them to stop yet another XANA attack. Given these circumstances, one would assume that the two heroes in Lyoko would rush toward their objective to remedy this. Maybe this was a new strategy with fighting XANA. Maybe they were recovering after being engaged in a ferocious battle in which they were outnumber by a vast amount of roaches, crabs and blocks. Or maybe, they were devising yet another plan off attack so they could overcome the obstacles in their path. Whatever the reason was, Odd and Ulrich were doing everything except springing into action. The group of three was able to reach the oasis without encountering any major snags...and that was it. Ulrich swung at the ground in a desperate attempt to find a buried passage way hidden from view while Odd just leaned against a nearby rock and quietly observed his companion do so.

Ulrich took another frantic swing at the dirt underneath him revealing nothing. "Aelita, are you sure that the tower is here?"

"Positive Ulrich, see for yourself. The pulsations converge right here."

Jeremie interrupted the two through the use of his intercom., "She's right Ulrich, my scanners say that a tower is indeed nearby."

"Well then, where is it? I don't see anything around here."

Odd was bored out of his mind. He was ecstatic to be back in Lyoko once again.

"So much for my great return here," he grumbled to himself. "Man, I'm itching for a fight and what does XANA give me? A few large rocks and a lake in the middle of nowhere."

"Come on you two, you have to find that tower right now!" Jeremie yelled into the intercom knowing full well that any minute now the authorities will barge into the factory and unplug XANA.

"Chill out Jeremie, it's like what Jin said to Sissi the first day he came over. Umm...one minute of being ticked off is...three weeks of old age...or maybe it was...Ah forget it, basically what Jin was saying was you shouldn't get angry or else you will die soon...or something like that."

Odd threw a small rock to punctuate his last statement and was astonished to see that no ripple was produced by the lake when the rock broke the water's surface. Odd was curious of what just happened and took a brief moment to acknowledge the irony he was in.

"Real funny Odd, you're a cat and you're curious about this mysterious lake in front of you. Oh well if it kills me I still have eight lives left, or in this case, one-hundred life points."

With that said, Odd dipped his arm in the water and felt nothing, as if it were hanging in air. Without thinking twice, he dunked his head into the lake and instantly saw the activated tower.

"Hey guys we've been tricked! There's no water here, just an illusion. The tower must be down there if XANA is willing to trouble himself by making a hologram here."

Aelita and Ulrich gathered around the lake and watched Odd dive into the small lake head first. Seeing no other alternative, the others soon followed. After a brief free fall, the three of them caught sight of the tower and found themselves running toward it. However, XANA was not going to just have a holographic body of water be his only means of defense against the foreign invaders.

Aelita was the first to notice the three horrific monsters that XANA was willing to use to protect his tower. "Oh no!" She screamed out as she watched the three crabs emerge from their hiding place and began to open fire at the group.

Odd was the first to get hit. The laser struck him in his left kneecap causing his entire leg to buckle from the force of the attack. He gritted his teeth as he felt the pain slowly go away thanks to Jeremie's program.

"I_ really_ hate crabs!" Odd said through clenched teeth as he looked up and prepared himself for another attack.

Ulrich drew out his sword and looked at Aelita who was standing behind him. "Aelita, get out of here, run!"

Aelita did as she was told and ran away from the fight as fast as she could. The crab's saw her escape and released another barrage of laser fire at her. Odd quickly caught up to the fleeing girl and jumped in the away of the incoming lasers and lost all of his life points. Odd was sprawled out on the floor and watched his entire body slowly devirtualize bring him back to the real world.

"Ulrich!" Jeremie yelled into his intercom to give him an update of their fight. "Odd has lost all of his life points. It's just you verses the crabs now."

Ulrich stared down his attackers as he thought up his strategy. "Three against one huh? Might as well even things up a little bit."

Ulrich ran toward the crabs and produced too other clones during his sprint. The clone on his left side leapt into the air and pierced the top of the crab with his sword, effectively ending the crab's existence.

The real Ulrich looked at his newfound comrades in arms and signaled for them to attack.

"Go on. Go on."

The left clone was the first to act but was shot in the air effortlessly while the right faired better as it actually destroyed its target. Ulrich himself then launched himself at the crab in the middle dodging its attacks before taking another leap of faith. He angled himself into a favorable position before he executed his attack.

"IMPACT!" Ulrich yelled out as he dove headlong onto the top of the crab in which he was able to pierce his sword through the giant XANA symbol. A beam of light emerged from the hole the sword made and soon he quickly hopped off his target and watched it explode with a satisfied grin on his face.

"That only leaves one left," Ulrich said as he struck a pose and began his next attack. "FUSION!" Ulrich's remaining clone was called off and merged with its host once more leaving Ulrich alone with the crab. "Come on! You only get one shot," he taunted as he began to charge at his enemy.

"Ulrich, are you crazy!" Jeremie yelled at his friend's reckless attack.

Jeremie and Odd watched anxiously from the safety of the factory. The pylon was now ninety percent full and if Ulrich didn't act fast then XANA will be able to blow up the power plant without resistance.

Aelita watched Ulrich began his frantic assault. He recklessly charged the crab and was shot in the arm as punishment for his lack of restraint. She gasped in horror as she saw the red light make contact with Ulrich's flesh but he didn't allow the attack to phase him. Biting through his pain, Ulrich ran even faster toward the crab, jumping onto its head where he proceeded to impale his sword into the XANA symbol once more. He leapt off his target before he could be caught in the explosion and gestured toward Aelita.

"Ok the coast is clear."

Aelita soon disappeared into the tower and began the process of deactivating the tower. First she brought up the tower's computer screen and entered her name.

AELITA

* * *

Odd was counting the pylon's percentage increasingly getting more worried as the counter got larger and larger. "Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, ONE-HUNDRED!" He screamed out. "Hurry Aelita, we're out of time!"

* * *

CODE

* * *

Dave stood there baffled by all the information that Yumi had just bombarded him with, "I don't understand this at all" he said while scratching is head. "Super computers in abandoned factories, a virtual world."

Jin stepped forward and took control of the conversation once more.

"Look sir, I couldn't make this stuff up even if I tried. If I did, I'd make twenty-six episodes from this idea and sell it to a company and turn it into an animated series that would have a fan base from people all around the world! No, instead my sister and I are standing right here risking our lives to tell you the truth and save this town from a nuclear demise!"

Jin heard a strange noise coming from the pylon causing him to look up. The electricity shot out in a gigantic blue bolt and was propelling itself toward the direction of the power plant.

"OH NO, WE'RE TOO LATE!" The two twins said in unison.

The electric blot crept along the power lines, making its way toward the plant drawing ever nearer to its final destination.

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

The bolt froze in its place along with the rest of the action. Jeremie wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to Odd.

"Ready for a return trip to the past?"

Odd nodded and watched Jeremie hit the return key on his keyboard.

* * *

A few days have passed ever since XANA attacked the school which was fortunate for Odd. The well-deserved break he got gave the band plenty of time to practice for their performance today. Odd was once again exited about the day. This was going to be his first _real_ show with him being in a REAL band. He made some last minute adjustments to his guitar as he scanned around the stage to see if the other members were doing alright. Yumi was performing some vocal exercises to warm up. Jin silently sat in the corner listening to his CD player to psyche himself up. Ulrich plugged in his keyboard and made sure that everything was working. And Nicholas, along with Jim, was going over their parts in the song. Odd gave into his friend's demands and allowed the two to join. In hindsight, he really regretted to stooping so low to try to get Naomi to join their band even though her drumming skills were light years away from Nicholas's. Odd stepped up to the microphone and looked at the current audience. The gym was packed with curious students wondering about the band, as he basked in the spotlight.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We are the Pop Rock Progressives. Before we begin, please allow me to introduce the band to you. First on vocals, we have the lovely Yumi Ishiyama!"

Several cat calls were thrown her way from several gracious male fans as Yumi took a bow.

"Next on keyboard, give it up for your varsity soccer player Ulrich!"

Ulrich decided to bow also and got the same cat calls Yumi received but were from the females in the building.

"Next, on the drums, Nicholas!"

Nicholas played a quick solo which stunned the crowd. Impressed with his performance, the audience gave out a loud cheer."

"On rhythm guitar, he's new to Kadic Junior High but he's already making waves on the social scene. I present to you the other half of the Ishiyama duo. You know him as the "Michael Jackson Kid", Jin!"

"Hey, it's the Dirk and Clayton Slayer!" One student pointed out causing the crowd to clap fanatically.

Jin performed a brief moonwalk as the crowd began to cheer his name out. Mainly because they were all fans of his handiwork concerning the two bullies.

"And I'm Odd for those of you who were wondering and I'm on lead guitar."

Once again the crowd went wild after the introduction.

"Finally, we have a special performer just for you guys. On slide trombone, you know him as your P.E. teacher but now he's here to rock out. Jim!"

Jim stood in a heroic pose and flexed his muscles but was greeted by the student's laughter.

"All right with the introductions out of the way...LETS ROCK!" Odd tapped his foot to the rhythm of the song as Yumi grabbed a microphone of her own. "Four there and..."

The band began to play the original song that they wrote using Aelita as inspiration. Yumi's angelic voice rang out through the speakers and memorized the audience.

_Mystery girl, from another world  
She wanted happiness, not a lot of stress  
Another chance for you, another friend to you_

The entire band was into the song as they played their parts out. Even Jim's trombone fit well with the chorus entertaining the audience and dispelling any doubts about his position on the band. The song ended and the entire gym gave the band a standing ovation impressed with their work. Odd spoke into the mike once more.

"Thank you, thank you for your applause. Now before we begin our next song, I'd like to tell you that we're switching parts up a bit. Yumi is going to be singing backup for this song."

Some fans were a bit disappointed but stayed any curious about the identity of the new singer.

"So please give it up for the new person taking the lead...Jin!"

The Pop Rock Progressives decided that they would play two songs that day to showcase both of the Ishiyama's singing talents. While Yumi decided to make up her own song for the occasion, Jin opted to use a famous American pop-rock song from the early nineties. The song was upbeat and unique and only Jin was able to sing it. Not because of all the high notes but it was the lyrics themselves. They were strung together and fast-paced like requiring full concentration to sing them. Jin was the only one who possessed the vocal dexterity required for a song of this caliber. Odd approached the microphone stand once again and began the count off for the bands next song.

Odd and Nicholas opened up the song for a few measures until Jin came in with the lyrics.

_I'm packed and I'm holding,  
I'm smiling, she's living, she's golden and she lives for me, She says she lives for me,  
Ovation, She's got her own motivation,  
she comes round and she goes down on me,  
And I make her smile, It's like a drug for you,  
Do ever what you want to do,  
Coming over you,  
Keep on smiling,  
what we go through.  
One stop to the rhythm that divides you,  
And I speak to you like the chorus to the verse, Chop another line like a coda with a curse,  
And I come on like a freak show takes the stage.  
We give them the games we play, she said,_

Jin stopped singing and allowed Yumi to sing the chorus

_I want something else, to get me through this,  
Semi-charmed kind of life,  
I want something else,  
I'm not listening when you say, Good-bye. _

The band completed the first verse of the song as the rest of the song as Odd relished in the moment, turning the whole experience into a blur.

* * *

Jeremie met the rest of the band backstage. Odd was first to jump out of the curtains and give everyone high fives.

"Ah man guys that was great!" He yelled out, still feeling the adrenaline rush he experienced on stage. The rest of his band mates nodded in agreement.

Jeremie clapped his hands and congratulated the ragtag band composed of his friends a few of his enemies. "Super nuclear! Your energy is going to make this town explode!"

Odd, Jin, Ulrich and Yumi all caught Jeremie's pun as he made a recurrence to the previous XANA attack a few days ago as they all hung their heads in shame of their friend's dignity.

"Was it something I said?"

Jin looked up at his friend and prepared himself for another Simone Cowel impersonation. "Jeremie...that joke was absolutely horrible."

The rest of the band shared in Jin's laughter while Jeremie looked on at his friends with an embarrassed look on his face.

END

* * *

**Notes On the Chapter: **

Odd's name for the band, ANAX, was not my original idea. ANAX was a character in Windstar's fic "Trouble Within School Grounds". So here is me giving the author credit for I would have never thought of that name so quickly.

If you haven't noticed it before, my chapters are getting increasingly shorter as I continue to write this series. Don't worry, I'm not getting lazy, I write so much not because I want to fill up space but because of the information provided by the episode. You see in Teddygodzilla, there were so many different events going on at the same time so in order for me to spend a decent amount of time on each one, cause me to write a lot. On the other hand, Seeing is Believing was more linear than the first episode which allowed me to take a more laid back approach in writing it.

Ok onto Sissi and her group. It might not be that obvious, but I have taken some of the "edge" off of Sissi's personality to make her seam more human. In the series we see that Sissi does have a good side and she does truly regret some of her actions. I hope to bring this aspect out of her in the next chapters. This is one of the reason's why I made up Dirk and Clayton. The reader needs to have someone fill in the void I created so I made a nastier version of Sissi's group who are both sharper and ruthless than Herb and Nicholas.

The songs I choose for Jin to sing I felt truly showed aspects of his personality. I believed that since Jin was so closely connected to these songs that could explain why he could sing the so well. Speaking of Jin, looks like you'll have to wait some more to see his character on Lyoko. I'm not going to say much, but I will say that Jin's character is pretty unique as the role he will play on Lyoko will contrast differently from the other character's already in the series.

Songs Used (in order of apperance)

1. Falling for the First Time (Barnaked Ladies)  
2. Semi-Charmed Kind of Life (Third-eye Blind)


	4. Episode 3: Holiday in the Fog

**Words from the Author:**

Thank you for supporting me in writing this massive series. Special shout outs got to Lindsey King A.K.A. Zelda-fan82 for going out of her way to send me an actual E-mail to tell me how she felt about the series. Once again thanks to everyone who still hasn't lost interest in my Retelling series.

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own Code Lyoko, but if I did that would kick so much butt!

* * *

Episode 3: Holiday in the Fog

Kadic Junior High was still. No students were roaming around campus, no teachers were talking about the day's lesson plan and the rest of the faculty was absent at this given moment. Even the omnipresent physical education teacher Jim was nowhere to be found. The campus's emptiness was not the result of a XANA attack. You see, if these activities were to occur at this hour, then there would be a serious problem. The reason for the school's vacancy was because it was night time. Most of the students and teachers had retired to the sanctity of their beds and surrendered to the sandman so he could whisk them away to dream world. With most of the staff out of the picture, Ulrich and Jeremie choose the night time to carry out their plan to keep an eye on XANA.

Ulrich stepped out of the shadow of the doorway he and Jeremie were hiding in under the cover of the moonlight, Ulrich walked over to a nearby wall and began to shake the spray can he was currently holding.

"Ok Jeremie the coast is clear."

Jeremie followed his command and walked over to the same wall and shook his own spray can, preparing himself for his "artistic" painting.

"You still remember the plan, do you?"

Before Jeremie answered the question, he thought back to the conversation that had when they began to devise their plan

* * *

"WAHOO! One week away from school!" Odd exclaimed jumping up and down as if he was made up of rubber.

"Cool it Odd" Yumi said as she tried to calm down her sporadic friend. "Keep bouncing around like that and you'll spend your one-week vacation in the infirmary with Dorothy."

The thought of Odd laying in a hospital bed during his break was an amusing one at that. As the mental image slowly began to form in their minds, the group let out a loud roar of laughter at Odd's expense.

"Really funny guys" Odd feigned being insulted, "With friends like you laughing at my misfortunes, who needs XANA?"

Hearing the infamous four-letter word, Jeremie's mood switched from good-humored to downright worried. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Huh, what's up Jeremie?" Jin asked, perplexed by his friend's sudden mood swing.

"XANA"

"Yes he's the bad guy but still that doesn't explain your change of mood. Don't tell me he's in your head right now messing with all your emotions. Cause I would really hate having to put your lights out all to just drive him out of your brain."

"Real funny Jin, but that's not the issue here."

"Then what is?"

"Look if we all take a vacation, that would give XANA seven days of freedom to wreak havoc on this school!"

Yumi was just as nervous as Jeremie was when she began to think of the possibilities. "That is pretty bad Jeremie but how do you suppose we keep an eye on him?"

"One of us has to stay behind"

Jin took a moment to think over Jeremie's suggestion. "That's all well and good but who's going to stay? Some of use have plans."

"I will."

"Jeremie, _you're_ going to stay!" Jin asked shocked that his friend would volunteer himself to keep an eye on XANA. "But you don't even fight in Lyoko?"

Odd realized that he had been silent for too long and decided to jump into the conversation at that moment. "Hey don't complain about Jeremie not going into Lyoko. Last time I checked, you missed the last XANA attack to go with your sister."

Jin couldn't easily refute Odd's remark as he saw the truth of his words. "Ok let me rephrase that. The thing that I'm mostly worried is that if XANA does attack, how are you going to stop it seeing how you have to run the computers and all that other stuff?"

"Don't worry about it Jin. I can safely guide Aelita through Lyoko using the factory's computer. We just have to be a little smarter than usual. Besides, if anyone else but me was going to stay, then they would have to use my computer to stay in touch in Aelita and no offense to you guys, but I would prefer if you kept your hands off it, it's a very delicate piece of machinery.""

"Ok now that we know who's going to stay behind, we gotta think of something that Jeremie could do to get him grounded here for a week."

Odd racked his brain thinking of all his options. "I got it! Let's mess with Dirk and Clayton then make it look like Jeremie did it."

Ulrich thought about the idea and shook his head. "As much as I like to get at those two, it's a really bad idea. Think of it Odd, playing around with Dirk is like messing with the Devil himself. We do something to them then most likely Dirk with find some what to get back at Jeremie during the week. Next thing you know, our friend has XANA, Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber breathing down his neck."

Jeremie saw the consequences if they were to follow Odd's plan and grimaced. "Now that you mention it Ulrich, that does sound like a bad idea. How about you Yumi, any suggestions?"

"Sorry guys, I'm not too keen in stirring up trouble. Aniki, wanna take a crack at this? You must have picked up some cool pranks while you were living in America. You already learned how to fight and dance there."

"Pulling pranks is not my forte but I did remember an incident that happened a year ago."

"What happened Aniki?"

"Well there was this one student who had a teacher he totally despised who drove a convertible and always left the top rolled down. Well one day, the teacher goes to his car to drive home and finds that somebody unloaded four sacks of manure in it."

"I don't think we can pull that off in such a short notice."

"Oh well, it was a funny story right?"

For this entire time Ulrich had been thinking of way to get Jeremie in trouble _without _putting him in harms way or hurting other students in the process. An idea finally came to surface and Ulrich was more than willing to share it with everyone. "Jin just gave me an idea!"

"We are not putting manure in a teacher's car, that's just crossing the line." Yumi said with her hands at her hips.

"No not that Yumi. Think of it, what better way to get Jeremie to lose his vacation than to cause trouble with one of the teachers?"

Odd stroked his chin and wondered which direction Ulrich's idea was taking them. "Keep going"

"Well since we have to get Jeremie in trouble, we might as well pick a target that we know we will have fun with. Now who is it going to be?"

The five friends thought of the question and all thought of the same obvious answer at the same time.

"Jim!" All five of them said out loud.

"Ok so here's the plan guys, listen up..."

* * *

"Jeremie! Jeremie!" Hey Jeremie! Are you even paying attention to me?"

Ulrich's yelling threw his friend back into the present.

"Huh, what did you say Ulrich?"

"Come on Jeremie focus! You still remember the plan right?"

"Yep, spray one big embarrassing picture of Jim right on this wall."

"Don't forget, you have to be caught red-handed. With that good reputation of yours, that's the only way for people to believe that you did it."

"Roger that."

The boys gave their spray cans one last shake for good luck before they began to work on their "masterpiece". With each press of the novel, the spray cans let out a small hiss indicating to the two individuals that they were working. Ulrich and Jeremie moved the cans of paint in a variety of motions, all in the effort to capture their vision onto the wall they picked out. When their picture was almost complete, Jeremie lowered his hand to look behind him.

"What's wrong?" Ulrich asked.

"I'm just hoping that Odd will come through with his part of the plan, or else this whole thing will come crashing down."

"Don't worry, I bet you Odd will come through for us, I promise."

* * *

Odd stood outside the door leading into Jim's room and he too had decided to bring along a companion for this deed tonight.

"Ok Kiwi it's now or never. Go do your thing boy."

Kiwi was a well-trained dog that was able to follow almost all of Odd's commands within a drop of a hat. After being shoved into Jim's room, Kiwi already made his way to his target who was already fast asleep. Jim was totally unaware of the dog's intrusion as he continued to snore through the night. Tossing and turning in his sleep and causing a ruckus in his bed, he gave off all the indications that he was in a deep sleep. With his loud snoring overall size and constant movements, Jim proved to be a very intimidating sight for Kiwi as he stayed frozen in his tracks out of fear that the beast that he was ordered to wake would attack him.

Odd stood on the outside of the door leading into Jim's room and heard everything first hand.

"Man that guys snores really loudly. I bet if he had a roommate, he'd have to wear earplugs just to be able to get a wink of sleep." He said to himself, unaware of the irony that his statement carried.

To his credit, Kiwi was a well-trained dog. He was able to follow the complicated strings of commands that Odd left for him to complete. Overcoming his initial fear of the sleeping man, Kiwi braced himself and prepared his attack.

BARK! BARK! BARK!

Jim's eyes shot wide open, giving off the obvious indication that he was now awake. Sitting straight up in his bed, Jim initial thoughts were that this was the work of a student playing a prank on him. He looked to the side of his bed and expected to see a student snickering at his or her own handiwork but was surprised to when he saw nothing. However, the noises still continued to haunt him.

BARK! BARK! BARK!

Jim aimed his gaze a little lower toward the floor and found his culprit. A small dog that had managed to sneak through the small opening he left in his doorway.

"Ah ha! I knew there was a dog here, and once I catch you I'm going to show the principal how correct my hunch was!"

Odd hid in a nearby corner once he heard Jim's exclamation. From his vantage point, he was able to see Kiwi bolt straight out of the room toward the field with Jim right behind him in hot pursuit.

"Great, not only am I the school enforcer, P.E. teacher and hall monitor, they had to add dog catcher to my already growing list of responsibilities." Jim grumbled to himself as he tried his best not to lose sight of the dog.

The small nimble Kiwi easily out ran the large sluggish teacher that was chasing him as he headed over to a set of doors that were already open giving him access to the field outside. Odd silently stalked the entire chase and found some amusement in the spectacle.

"Man this is SO worth breaking curfew for, watching Jim try to catch Kiwi like that. Look how easily he's getting tired. If only Milly and Tamiya were here to document the whole thing then, that would just make my day. I can see the headline now, _Out of Shape School P.E. Teacher In Need of P.E. Classes_." Odd waited until Jim was a safe distance away from him before erupting into a laughing fit of his own.

* * *

Jeremie was putting a few last minute touches on their mural just to touch things up. When the whole thing looked satisfactory to him, Jeremie set down his spray can and began to dust his hands off.

"And we're done. You know what Ulrich? This picture came out better than I expected."

"I feel the same way here Jeremie" Ulrich said placing his own spray can down and cracking his knuckles.

"Oh no" Jeremie said noticing the similarities of Ulrich's actions and those of another student he currently knew.

"What?"

"He's rubbing off of you."

"Who is?"

"Jin"

"What do you mean?"

"You're cracking your knuckles like he always does." Jeremie said jokingly trying to kill time

Ulrich didn't really see the truth in Jeremie's words but decided to play along with them to humor him. "You're absolutely right Jeremie he is. Pretty soon, I'm going to start rolling up my jacket sleeve and start wearing my headphones twenty-four seven just like how he does."

Before Jeremie could make a comment of his own, he heard three unusual noises not too far off in the distance.

BARK! BARK! BARK!

Ulrich knew the significance of those barks and took it as his cue to leave.

"Ok Jeremie, this is where I leave you to fend for yourself. Hope they don't throw the book at you too hard ok? See you later."

Jeremie watched as his friend ran toward the dorms and picked up a nearby spray can and began touching up the picture once more.

"Slow down so I can catch you!" Jim yelled at the dog in a vain effort to make things easier on himself. His chase lead him outside the building where he pursued the dog under the cover of the moonlight. Since it was dark outside, Jim paid special attention to all the noises he was creating to get a better picture of what was going on. First there was the loud thud his bare feet made whenever they would hit the floor. Next there was the quiet pitter-patter the dog's paws made as it tried to get away from him. Finally there was the loud hissing noise that.

Loud hissing noise? What could be making that sound?

Jim stopped running and turned his head toward the direction of the sound and expected to find the source of it but instead found yet another student breaking his curfew.

"Jeremie, what are you doing outside this late?"

"Oh just a little late-night artistic work."

"Real funny" It took Jim a few moments to realize that Jeremie was using the spray can to pain a picture on the brick wall he was standing in front of. Moving his eyeballs, Jim's curiosity got the better of him as he began to stare at the picture that Jeremie drew for him.

"AHHH!"

Painted on the wall was a large unflattering portrait of himself. He wore a wide-eyed look on his face along with a pair of bunny ears that adorned the top of his head.

"So Jim, what do you think? I had some trouble capturing your true essence but I think I did a relatively good job on the mural overall. Just let it all sink in before you make you make a judgment." Jeremie said, trying his best to emulate Odd and Jin's unique sense of sarcasm

"Bunny ears!"

"Yep "

"YOU PUT BUNNY EARS ON MY HEAD!"

"Creative isn't it."

"Listen here young man, the only thing creative around here is the punishment the principal is going to hand you once he finds out about THIS!" Jim pointed at the picture to punctuate his statement. "I want you to head to your room right now and we're going to talk to him right before class tomorrow."

"Ok then, have a nice night" Jeremie said as he causally walked away.

Free from Jeremie's presence Jim took a little extra time to inspect the picture further.

"Humph, kids these days. Show no respect for their elders. Plus his drawing skills are pretty sketchy, just look how he drew my eyes. There is NO way I could ever open them that wide."

As if he was a child in elementary school, Jim titled his head to the side and muttered his final "critique."

"Stupid bunny ears."

* * *

"I wonder if Ulrich's planed worked last night?" Yumi asked her brother while on their way to school.

"Don't know, but I hope it does. If he fails to get himself grounded here, then XANA would have the entire week to turn this city into his personal playground."

"Don't remind me." Yumi had enough XANA talk for one day and decided to switch the topic of the conversation to something a little more lighthearted. "Hey Aniki, where did you get that scarf?" She asked referring to the black cloth adorned with a large smiling skeletal face on both ends that Jin had wrapped around his neck.

"My friends got it for me in America for my birthday. They knew how much I loved the movie so they gave me this scarf so I could better express my fandom."

"And what movie was that?"

"The Nightmare Before Christmas"

"Oh yeah"

Yumi suddenly remembered watching the movie with her brother a few days ago once he finally settled in his new home. "That was the claymation movie about Halloween Town."

"Yep"

"Then which character is on your scarf? I kinda forgot his name."

Jin held up one end of his scarf so his sister could get a better view of the character's face. "This is Jack Skellington and he's the King of Halloween!"

"You and your cartoons Aniki"

"Hey it's a good movie."

"I'm just stating the obvious"

"Whatever"

Seeing how the conversation was finished, Jin placed his headphones over his ears and pressed the play button. Yumi turned her head to the road and kept walking toward the school, taking in a moment to enjoy the silence. She soon found herself at the gates of the school and right in the company of Ulrich and Odd.

"So you two, how did last night go?" Yumi asked, curious of the plan's results.

"It went by real smoothly, Jeremie is in the principal's office right now" Ulrich answered.

"Then maybe we should go see him. How much time do we have left until class starts?"

Odd looked at his watch upon hearing the request. "We got half an hour left. That's plenty of time to pay the little offender a visit."

The group was about to make their way to the principal's office until they notice that they were one member short. Odd glanced over his shoulder and saw that Jin was still near the school's gates and was singing to himself.

_Boys and girls of every age  
Won't you like to see something strange   
Come with us and you will see  
This our town of Halloween_

"Yumi, does your brother do this kind of thing everyday!"

"Sadly yes. Jin sometimes forgets what's going around him sometimes and is usually off in his own little world."

Odd let out a huge sigh for all to hear. "And to think that guy is going to be fighting along side of us in Lyoko pretty soon. Any ideas on how I could get his attention?"

"Just remove his headphones. That always works for me."

Odd gave Yumi a small nod and walked toward the singing boy. Getting himself into position, He raised his right hand and waited for the best moment to seize the headphones from Jin's possession.

_This is Halloween!  
This is Halloween!  
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night This is Halloween!  
Everybody make a scene  
Trick or treat till your neighbors gonna die of fight_

Odd couldn't take Jin's singing any more and shot his hand forward at the object around his head.

_It's our town everybody... _

SNATCH

Jin was brought back to reality and realized that there were a number of people giving him suspicions glances. He glanced up at Odd and saw that he held his precious headphones in his hand.

"Hey! I was listening to that!"

"Ok Jack, when you're not too busy planning the festivities for next year's Halloween, you might want to come to the principal's office with us."

"Nice to see that you saw the movie too Odd. You sure do know your classics."

"Didn't you hear me? Jeremie is in the principal's office and we're going to pay him a visit."

"Oh wow! Really?"

"Yes, really. Man Jin, I think that scarf your wearing is cutting off the blood circulation to your brain because right now you sound just as dopey as Sissi."

"Hey you two!" Yumi called out who was already walking away. "Let's go or Ulrich and I are just going to leave you behind!"

Jin and Odd both exchanged glances before they ran toward the group to catch up.

* * *

The principal saw the pictures that Jim gave him in his hand and threw them on his desk in disgust. Only the ticking of the clock was preventing the room from going into a deafly silence that the principal was instilling. The suspense perpetuated until the principal placed both of his arms on the table and gave Jeremie an icy glare.

"You know why you are here, correct?"

"The picture I sprayed on the wall"

"Then I don't need to go into depth with you." The principal's spoke in a calm and collected manner which sent chills down Jeremie's spine.

"No sir" Jeremie knew he was going to get in trouble but he tried his best not to get any other trouble outside of the one week detention that he was aiming for.

"Before I give you your punishment, let me ask you this, why? Why would such a model student do such a thing?"

"I really don't know."

"Let me tell you something Jeremie. For the past week, you are the only student that I had to discipline. Even Dirk and Clayton are behaving themselves. But now I have to take disciplinary action against you, one of our top academic achievers. And yet, despite your reputation, when you commit such a violation on our school grounds against our faculty you're telling me that you don't know why you committed such an offense?"

"No sir I don't. It was more of a spur of the moment kind of thing."

"Jeremie you left me with no choice. I'm going to have to give you detention during your vacation. You will be confined to this campus and will be under Jim's supervision the entire time. Maybe within those seven days you will finally remember the real reason why you committed such a crime. Now, get to class."

Jeremie turned his back to the principal and walked toward the door making sure that he didn't see the smile on his face.

* * *

The door to the principal's off opened and Jeremie stepped into the waiting room to meet his friends.

"So Jeremie how did it go?" Yumi asked summing up the big question that the group had for him.

"I'll tell you later once we get of this place. This waiting room gives me the chills."

Odd held the exit door open so that his friends could walk through he waited for all of them to pass through the doorway before closing it behind him.

"Wait up Jeremie." said Jin, who was apparently excited about the success of their plan. "Before you tell us about the principal's office. I just gotta know, how did you guys pull it off."

Jeremie was a little uneasy with Jin's excitement as he leaned over toward Odd to speak to him. "Is it just me, or does Jin seem a little too energetic today?"

"His scarf is on too tight."

"That explains a lot." Jeremie then resumed his normal standing position. "Well I can't take all of the credit Odd and Ulrich played a big part in the plan as well. If I didn't have their help, this would have never worked out."

"Ok, now that we got the mushy stuff out of the way, what happened?"

Ulrich took it upon himself to begin the explanation. "Well we all waited till it got really dark before we went outside with our spray cans..."

* * *

Jin wasn't the only one being inquisitive about last night. In the same hallway a certain rival group of three students were collaborating amongst themselves as usual and wondering about what really happened on that night.

"Hey Sissi, did you hear about what Jeremie did last night?" Nicholas asked trying to start a conversation.

"Of course I did you dunce, my father is the principal of this school, he knows everything that goes around this dump."

"I just find it weird that Jeremie did it. He's such a straight arrow."

"I'm just surprised that Jeremie was able to do it period." Herb said sharing his own thoughts.

"Well no matter how strange it is I still find it weird that he did it in the first place. Why would one of the smartest kids in the school do something so stupid?" Sissi asked, pondering on her own question.

The group stopped to think of their own explanation that would make sense of Jeremie's recent act of vandalism but their thoughts were halted once they heard a voice nearby.

_"You should have seen the look on Jim's face, aw man it was priceless. He was saying, WHY DID YOU PUT BUNNY EARS ON MY HEAD! If I didn't keep my cool at that moment, I would have died of laughter."_

"Hey isn't that Jeremie?" Nicholas asked once again demonstrating his powers over the obvious.

"Yes it is, you idiot!" Herb yelled out slightly insulted by the fact that he didn't need Nicolas's aid in coming up with that conclusion. "Notice something a little odd here?"

"Uh huh" Sissi said placing her hands on her hips. "It's like he's proud of what's he's done even though he just got his first black mark in his perfect record. Something tells me that this was less of a spur of the moment sort of thing and more of a premeditated, calculated plan."

"What makes you think that Sissi?" Nicholas asked impressed by the girl's deductive reasoning.

"Women's intuition, something that you two will never have. There's something strange going on but I just can't put my finger on it."

* * *

Jin was beside himself with laughter.

"Hahaha, man and here I thought the manure incident was funny, this blows it out of the water." Once the humor of the incident began to die down, Jin was able to finally control himself. "Ok seriously Jeremie, what's your punishment."

"The principal gave me a week of detention and now I'm forced to stay here while all of you guys go on vacation. Oh woe is me." Jeremie said sarcastically prompting another fit of laughter from the group.

"Well that's good to hear, come on guys, if we leave now we might be able to make it to class on time." Yumi said already walking away from her friends.

"You heard my sister guys, we gotta get going." Jin placed the headphones over his ears once more and hit the play button before he began his long run to class.

* * *

_"The principal gave me a week of detention and now I'm forced to stay here while all of you guys go on vacation. Oh woe is me."_

"Did you heart that guys?" Nicolas said, not too sure of what to make of the statement. "Jeremie sounded pretty happy for a kid who got punished."

Sissi closed her eyes and turned her back toward Nicholas wondering why she continued to put with his company for this long.

"Of course we heard it, anyone with two ears noticed that. Now you having a brain, that's an entirely different issue that we'll address later."

Herb stepped forward and raised his index finger in the air. "If you ask me, I'd say that Jeremie was so happy was because he was punished not for getting back at Jim."

"Please, tell me more." Sissi said with a genuine sense of interest.

"Let's analyze the facts. First of all, Jeremie committed the offense, a star student, not a usual trouble maker like Dirk or Clayton. Second, Jeremie is not the type to extract revenge one someone no matter how much he would despise them. For him to paint a humiliating picture of Jim on the wall is a defiantly outside his normal pattern of behavior. Third, he was happy because of the fact the he lost his vacation through..."

"Just get to the point!" Sissi yelled at Herb impatiently..

"I was just getting to that. As I was saying, given all three of these factors, one can conclude that Jeremie intentionally got himself in trouble seeing how he was so willing to break the school rules."

"Now that's a good explanation, I always knew that you were a smart one Herb and only someone of my stature would be able to appreciate your natural gifts."

Herb gave Sissi a small smile after hearing her praise.

"Something fishy is going on here and the "Weirdo Bunch" is part of it. I'm going to get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I do."

"But aren't you going on vacation too?" Nicholas asked knowing of Sissi's plans for the week. "You can't stay here to find out what's going on if you're in another place, that's physically impossible."

"Well then, I'm just going to have to work around that "minor" detail won't I?" Sissi turned on her heel and walked straight toward her father's office and executed her own plan.

* * *

"And here I thought that the first document that I would be signing concerning Jeremie would be a letter of recommendation."

The principal grumbled to himself. As much as he hated being the first one to take action against the star student, rules were rules and if he started taking in exceptions now, who knows what sort of trouble he would land himself in the future. His pen scribbled out the necessary information to make Jeremie's one week stay at Kadic official as he tried to finish the not as soon as he could. Suddenly he heard his door unexpectedly open.

"Hello daddy" Sissi greeted her father with a cheerful smile.

"Hello there Sissi, what brings you to my office so early in the morning?"

"Well...I'm here to ask you for your advice?"

"Advice?" He was not expecting a father, daughter discussion today.

"You're the headmaster of this school so you'll be perfect for the dilemma that my friend is having. "

"Well in that cause, sure. I'll be glad to help anyway I can."

"You see daddy, my friend's math grade is gradually slipping and she needs more time to study. Now her vacation would be a perfect opportunity for her to accomplish this but she has to go to her grandparent's house and she knows full well that if she goes there, that she will be distracted and not get any studying done what so ever. What should she do?"

"Well if her parents truly care about her grades, then my suggestion is that they allow her to stay at school for the vacation and go one without her. Now who is your friend anyway? Maybe I can call her parents to help persuade them."

"You don't need to daddy, that was me!" Sissi leaned over the desk and gave her father a warm hug.

The principal's expression changed from mild shock to that of slight concern. "That was you, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was afraid that you would be mad at me."

"Although I am disappointed in your academic performance. I am happy that you had enough courage to tell me the truth before your grades sank any lower." "So does that mean I'll be staying here for the week?"

"I'll call Jim and tell him about the arrangements so he can look after you also."

"Thanks daddy, you're the best!" Sissi leaned over and gave her father another hug before leaving the room.

The principal recollected his paper work and resumed writing Jeremie's disciplinary referral, totally unaware of the trickery that the previous two students had pulled.

* * *

RING!

The school bell rang thus signaling the end of classes and the beginning of vacation. Yumi and Jin soon met up with Odd, Ulrich and Jeremie and began walking toward the school's gate to talk over plans for the week.

"Wow Jin. I can't believe that you know so much about history. You were tearing through those questions as if they were nothing." Yumi commented about one of her previous classes.

"It's not that impressive sis. History is one of my most favorite subjects around here. It's like what they always say, you never know where you're going unless you know where you've been, and I am a firm believer of that statement."

Odd had enough of Jin's lecturing and placed the palms of his hands over his ears to block out any more pieces of educational information.

"Stop it Jin. School is over now. Let me worry about my classes when I come back here!"

Ulrich stood on the far right of the line that the group formed and leaned his head forward so he could address all of his friends at once.

"Man it seems like everyone is going to have a really fun vacation except me."

"What do you mean?" Asked a concerned Yumi.

"Well Odd's going to visit his parents on the other side of the planet, Jeremie gets to stay in school and keep Aelita company, you and Jin are going to a vacation in the mountains and what do I have to look forward to? An entire week with Mrs. Hertz as my special tutor helping me with math."

Odd stood on the left side of the line and leaned his head forward in order for him to talk to Ulrich directly.

"Man if she thinks she could make you a better math student in only seven days, I'd say let her try but lets hope she isn't making any promises."

Odd then straightened himself out and leaned backwards so he could get a better view of Jeremie before he spoke to him.

"Speaking of you being here, are you sure you're going to be safe. I mean this campus is quite big and all. Anything can happen to you."

"Oh don't worry. He won't be alone for the week." Came Sissi's voice out of the clear blue yonder.

"AHH!" Jin yelled out of surprise. "Sissi where the hell did you come from!" Jin recovered from his initial shock and spoke to himself softly. "So this is how they feel like when I just show up out of nowhere."

It was now Jeremie's turn to lean over to Odd to speak to him. "You hit the nail on the head this time Odd. Jin's scarf is indeed on WAY too tight."

"Yumi, ever thought about having your brother's head checked, he seems to be losing his marbles. I mean come on Jin. Isn't it a little too early to be sporting winter fashion and what is up with your scarf with that ugly skeleton on it? Are you some sort of Grateful Dead fan or something?"

Jin had enough of the verbal abuse that Sissi was throwing in his direction and decided to fight back.

"First of all Sissi, get your rock and roll references straight. The Grateful Dead favored full body, realistic looking skeletons, not cartoonish ones. Second of all, this fellow here is Jack Skelington and he's the King of Halloween."

Yumi tried to bring the conversation to its original focus. "What did you mean when you said that Jeremie won't be alone for the week?

"I convinced my father to let me stay. Jeremie is so eager to, so why not me. I know you five are hiding something from me and it's only a matter of time before I find it."

No sooner did Sissi answer Yumi's question did Jim made his presence known. He grabbed Jeremie by the arm and began leading him toward the wall that he defaced.

"Ok Picasso so you really love to draw huh? Well maybe cleaning up after yourself will teach you not to vandalize school property."

Sissi couldn't contain her laughter anymore as she began to laugh at Jeremie's predicament.

"You're coming too Sissi!"

"What!"

"Your father gave me specific orders to make sure that you're studying this whole time. So both of you get a move on NOW!"

Jin marched the two students over and they were soon out of sight. The rest of Jeremie's friends were dumbfounded with what just happened.

"That was really strange." Jin said, trying to snap the group back to their normal states of mind.

"Tell me about it Aniki. Well, at least Jim was able to get rid of Sissi."

"Maybe my vacation isn't going to be that hard after all." Ulrich said after seeing the almost drill master-ish persona Jim assimilated to deal with Jeremie and Sissi.

"So guys" Odd spoke trying to be the serious one in this conversation. "What are we going to do during our vacations incase XANA attacks?"

Yumi began forming a plan in her mind and shared it once it reached its strategic ripeness.

"We'll just bring our cell phones with us and pray that if XANA attacks, we'll still be in the country. If he waits for us to leave, then Jeremie's our last line of defense in stopping him."

"Well that's a relief" Jin said placing his right hands in his pocket. "Let's just hope that it will never come to that. My ideal vacation does not involve me getting trashed around by XANA," Jin's expression soon softened as he turned his head toward his friends. "So what do you guys wanna do before we go our separate ways?"

* * *

Sure, Jim could have been doing this at some remote beach out in the Bahamas or even on the deck of a luxury cruise. Although sitting in a lounge chair in the middle of the school's campus did not look like a relaxing vacation, it yielded the same benefit for Jim as he watched Jeremie try to clean his graffiti off the wall. Taking another sip from the soda can he was holding, Jim was having quiet a time basking in the sun while the other two students he was watching over were working nonstop. Jim lowered his sunglasses and inspected Jeremie's handiwork.

"Ok come on kid, that picture isn't going to leave that wall anytime soon. Keep scrubbing."

Jeremie complied with Jim's demands to avoid raising any suspicion of his previous actions and began to scrub a little more harder to please him.

Not bothering to turn his head, Jim laid back down in his chair and decided to check on Sissi's progress.

"So Sissi, how's you studying going?"

Never in her life was she more confused. Sissi flipped through the pages of her math text book hoping to find the magic answer that would clarify all of the text on the pages.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she thought to herself. "I don't know who's having a harder time. Me trying to decipher this foreign language in front of me called math or Jeremie trying to scrub the picture off the wall with only a sponge."

Realizing what she was saying, Sissi took her right hand and gave herself a few well-placed whacks to the head.

"What are you saying Sissi! Get a hold of yourself! You know you're better than that. Now is not the time to be buckling under the pressure when you have a mystery to solve and your prime suspect is in front of you. Let's look at the progress I made so far. Step one, skip out of vacation to stay in school, check. Step two talk to Jeremie about his little "friend," currently in progress. Now in order for me to get that guy to open up, I have to isolate him from that red baboon that' sitting in front of him. Now how do I suppose I would do that?"

An idea clicked inside Sissi's head as a mischievous smile spread across her face.

"Of course Sissi, that wasn't so hard to think of. I am such a genius. I even impress myself with the amount of brilliance I possess. Now, let's see how this will work in real life."

Having enough math knowledge crammed into her skull for one day, Sissi closed her book and made her way toward Jeremie to uncover the secrets of the "Weirdo Bunch."

"Man, why did we have to use such high quality spray paint?" Jeremie grumbled underneath his breath after seeing how little progress he was making in cleaning the picture off the wall. Jeremie rested his arm and took a quick breather and was just in time to see Sissi make her way over to talk to Jim.

"Hello Jim" she said, waking the sleeping P.E. teacher.

"Oh it's you Sissi. Shouldn't you be over there studying?"

"Well I can't really concentrate right now. I was wondering if I could help Jeremie with his little "problem". It's like my father always said...ummm...a little manual labor does the mind wonders."

"You know what? That's an excellent idea. Maybe not all of you kids are such lazy individuals after all. I'll go get you an extra bucket and sponge so sit tight."

Sissi watched Jim run off leaving her alone with Jeremie, just like she planed it, "Sissi, that has gotta be the LAMEST thing you ever said all day. Oh well, no use beating yourself up, if it was good enough to get the baboon out of here then it must have been good enough for you." She thought to herself before acquiring Jeremie's attention.

Jeremie knew that Sissi was up to no good and took the defensive.

"Ok Sissi, what is it now?"

"I was just admiring your handiwork, pretty good Jeremie. I'm just curious, did you paint that whole thing by yourself, or did your buddy XANA help you. Listen because I think it's only fair enough for me to warn you. I know that there's something you and your little group of friends are hiding from me and this XANA thing, whatever it is, plays a major role in your little secret."

"XANA is one of our group's favorite rock bands, but I'm sure with all that garbage you listen to I wouldn't be surprised if you have never heard of them."

Sissi took a step back after hearing Jeremie's insult her taste in music. "Might as well let him have this one. Sooner or later he's going to drop his guard and then, BAM, I got him right where I want him." She thought to herself once more.

Sissi then saw Jeremie drop his sponge in the bucket near his feet.

"Hey, just what on Earth do you think you're doing? Get back to work!"

"Listen Sissi. I don't know what angle your going for but ordering me around is not going to help you one iota. I've been scrubbing this thing for hours nonstop so I believe that I'm entitled to a break of some sort. I can't say the same for you. Since you were so eager to help clean this up, you might as well get started now."

Jeremie walked over to Jim's chair and made himself comfortable. Clasping his eyes behind his head, Jeremie then began to act like his P.E. teacher.

"Come on Sissi, that picture isn't going to clean itself you know." He said in a really bad Jim impersonation.

Sissi saw the tall figure making his way back from the storage room. "You know Jeremie, there's nothing funny with what you're doing what now."

Jeremie's tone of voice was still the same as he continued acting like Jim. "What do you mean Sissi? This is some grade A material. Of course it's funny." Jeremie opened his eyes and saw Jim loam over him with an angry look on his face.

"So it's not bad enough that you had to draw me on this wall huh? Now, you've decided to start acting like me too. I'll let it go if you get back to cleaning that horrible picture NOW!"

"Come on Jim there has to be something about the mural that you like."

"No way. I hate everything about it! That stupid grin I'm wearing, that space out stare I have the...:

Sissi decided to use this moment to have a little fun at Jim's expense. "What about those bunny ears on your head? I think they're pretty cute."

"ESPECIALLY THOSE BUNNY EARS! GET TO WORK NOW!"

"Yes sir!" The two students said and began scrubbing out of fear for their lives.

* * *

Herb really hated road trips he was not the kind of person who found entertainment in being confined in a car for countless hours and driving by an endless supply of highways and back roads. So for Herb to dread the upcoming trip he was going to take was a natural thing for him.

"We do stuff like this every year, I wish my family would give it a break for once." Herb sighed as he began to neatly place his clothes in his suitcase. "I just wish that I had someone I can talk to so this whole thing is more bearable."

No sooner did Herb finish that statement did his cell phone start to ring.

"Hello, Herb speaking" he said into the receiver not knowing who was on the other line.

"Thank God, finally I'm talking to someone other than Jeremie and Jim." Replied a voice which he instantly recognized as Sissi's.

"I feel the same way too Sissi. It's good to hear from you."

"For once I agree." Sissi changed positions on her bed and released a yelp of pain as a result of her movement.

"Sissi, are you alright!" Herb asked instantly concerned with his friend's health.

"Don't worry Herb I'm just soar that's all."

"I've never heard of anyone getting soar from studying."

"I wasn't just studying. I offered to help Jeremie clean up the mess he made so I could get Jim out of the way and ask the little star pupil to spill his secret."

"Judging by your present condition, I'd say that meeting didn't turn out in your favor."

"I'm so soar Herb, it hurts all over" Sissi groaned, "Even my eyelids are aching when I blink."

"That doesn't sound too good, maybe you should get some rest now so your body can heal much faster."

"No can do Herb. Jeremie is just planning something. I just know it!"

"What makes you think so?"

"He's been in his room and hasn't stepped outside for anything. I'd bet he's in there right now, plotting his little secret plan to show all of his friends."

"Herb, dinner is ready. Come downstairs now!" came a voice from Herb's side of the line.

"Who was that?" Sissi asked wanting to identify the speaker that she just heard.

"It's my mom. Sorry Sissi but I have to go now. Good luck with your search for the truth."

"Luck?" The principal's daughter responded with her classic air of arrogance. "This scheme is foolproof." Sissi hung up her cell phone and resumed her watch of Jeremie's door.

* * *

Jeremie removed his glasses from his head and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long day for him. After escaping from the clutches from Slave driver Jim and Nosey Sissi, Jeremie was finally able to relax in his dorm. However, a relaxing time for Jeremie consisted of working on hours on end trying to perfect his ever time-consuming materialization project.

"Well that's all I can do right here." Jeremie said, giving his arms a much needed stretch. "I have to use the factory computer to complete the rest of the process."

"You know Jeremie, maybe you should get some sleep. You have been working quiet hard both on and off your computer. XANA hasn't awoken yet and I haven't felt any pulsations recently. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"Thanks for your concern Aelita but I'm heading over to the factory right now. You know me, if I were to stop now, I wouldn't be able to get a wink of sleep until I get this step out of the way."

Aelita was still nervous, for some reason she had this uneasy feeling that continued to pester her.

"Ok Jeremie, but be careful."

* * *

Now was Sissi's chance to get all the answers she was looking for. Jeremie had just left his room in the middle of the night and was trying to get off of campus despite his detention. This was the sort of juicy details that she was looking for when she willing stayed behind during her vacation. The stage was set for the perfect moment for Sissi to get all the answers she was looking for, unfortunately no one would be acting on that stage tonight seeing how the star actress was asleep totally unaware of how close to the truth she was.

* * *

A shapeless black cloud emerged from the school's outlet and appeared in the school's storage room that housed several dangerous chemicals used in routine maintenance and other odd jobs. It loomed around the room until it found the target it was looking for. The black cloud circled the barrels of chemicals causing them to fall over, spilling their contents resulting in the formation of a pink cloud. It swirled around the room celebrating its potential victory until the door to the room opened.

* * *

Jeremie tiptoed across the dorm's hallway in order not to wake the sleeping inhabitants inside. He made it downstairs and out the door without rousing any suspicion of his sudden exit. Before Jeremie could set one foot on the grass, he heard a series of loud noises coming from the storage room. Jeremie's curiosity got the better of him as he walked into the hallway and braced himself for whatever danger he might face.

The door slowly creaked open and for a brief moment, all that Jeremie was able to see was the color pink. Jeremie's vision was blocked by the enormous pink cloud. Suddenly Jeremie felt his throat tightened as the pink smoke began to enter his body risking internal injuries. Jeremie's survival instincts kicked into gear as he began to cough, a desperate attempt to slow the smoke's entrance into his body. He stood in the door for only a few seconds as he was able to work up enough strength to close the door and rid himself of the pink menace. He placed one hand on the door and slowly began taking in deep breaths of fresh air to clear his system of the poisonousness invader and to make sense of what just happened. Jeremie was too busy coughing and breathing to hear the heavy footsteps behind him.

"Now don't tell me that you were sleepwalking because I've been teaching here for twenty years and I have heard that excuse too many times to count."

Jeremie jumped back once he felt a hand touch his shoulder and turned around only to see Jim's face once more. Jeremie was too concerned with the impending doom that was in the next room to even care if Jim was going to punish him at all.

"Jim, thank goodness that you're here. You have to check inside this room! I just saw a thick cloud of smoke!"

"Smoke!" Jim's sense of compassion and duty were instantly sparked. "Ok Jeremie, stay behind me, this could get ugly."

* * *

This was not good. The boy has been exposed to its attack too early and is now aware of its presence. The gaseous entity plotted its next course of action. Unleashing its fury now will do nothing and be in vain. Might as well hide for now in order to deceive his target.

CLICK

The being heard the doorknob turn and quickly escaped into the school's ventilation shaft to flee from its pursuers.

* * *

Jim threw the door wide open and saw the storage room in complete disarray. Shelves were knocked over, bottles were broken but the most horrific detail was that several barrels holding potentially dangerous chemicals laid toppled on the floor.

"Jeremie, what's the meaning of this!"

"But the smoke, I saw it. This room was filled with smoke just a few moments ago!"

"Well let me tell you something, I don't see smoke but I do see another act of vandalism here and I think I know who did it."

"That's a relief Jim, so who is it?"

"You"

"What are you saying!"

"Look I caught you red-handed breaking curfew drawing that stupid picture of me on the wall. Now I find you breaking curfew again near this storage room that has been turned inside out."

"But Jim, it wasn't me I swear."

"Oh really?" Jim raised his eyebrow to confirm his suspicion. "You seem to be the guilty party here. No other student could have done this since they're all out on vacation."

"But I..."

"Not another word young man. I don't want you to say anything right now. Just turn yourself around and march right back to your dorm and don't pull any funny stuff now because I'll be watching you."

Jeremie began the long walk back to his room and avoided eye contact with Jim the entire time. He was too busy wondering about the thick cloud of smoke he just saw and inhaled worrying if that stuff was the result of XANA or something else. Jeremie entered his room still lost in thought until Jim was "kind" enough to help him gather his sense.

"Ok Jeremie, tomorrow morning I'm calling your parents to tell them about your little "extra curricular activities" around here. Maybe with them on your back, you'll shape up and fly right."

Jeremie knew that he couldn't do anything right now and decided to get some shut eye before checking up on the mysterious accident.

* * *

Jeremie woke up early that morning and wasted no time. He soon ran out of his room and made his way to factory once again. However, before going any further, He paid yet another visit to the school's storage room to get some more information on the enemy he was facing. He slowly opened the door and walked inside.

"Ok, what's so special about this room to make XANA target it?" Jeremie thought out loud.

His investigation of the crime scene continued until he saw the turned over barrels.

"Looks like XANA was after these chemicals but why? There nothing dangerous about chemicals individually, so why would he..."

Jeremie's answer came to him before he could finish his statement.

"The smoke! XANA was going for a chemical reaction!"

Jeremie soon ran out of the storage room to the factory not caring who or what saw him now. Ripping the manhole cover off and climbing down the ladder, He grabbed his precious scooter and began to peddle himself down the sewer. Arriving at the factory in one piece, Jeremie swung down on the ropes and proceeded toward the elevator to be lowered into the computer room.

"Aelita, I'm back!"

"Jeremie! Did you figure out what XANA is up to?"

"Yes and it's not good. XANA has mixed together some chemicals in our school that when combined together creates a deadly gas that can cause internal damage if a human were to spend a considerable amount of time in it!"

"Do you think that the smoke is still in the school?"

"Most likely yes."

* * *

It had been dormant long enough. There was no use for it to hide in the ventilation shaft all day. It had a mission to do. Its objective was almost compromised when its target spotted it thus forcing it into this secluded area. Now that its presence has been forgotten, it can begin its plan of destruction. As it made its way to the outside world again, the being found a dark sense of humor in the crime it was about to commit. Humans and their pathetically weak bodies, unable to handle a little smog in their lungs.

* * *

It was now morning and Sissi rose from her sleeping position disappointed with herself that she fell asleep during her shakeout of Jeremie's room. Rubbing her eyes, Sissi yawned and stretched her aching body, dreading the challenges that her second day at school would bring her. She opened her eyes to take in familiar sight of her room under the early morning light but instead saw nothing. Nothing except...

Pink...

Lots of lots of pink.

"What the?" Sissi said out loud wondering where she was right now. She reached down and touched the surface that she was sleeping on and felt a soft cushion underneath her. Using this bit of information, Sissi began to orient herself with her surroundings. She was defiantly in her room, but now there was an invader in front of her. An invader not made of flesh and bone, but of chemicals and toxic fumes and this invader proved to be more threatening than any human could be as it filled up her entire room with its presence, threatening to swallow her alive.

"Help me! Is anyone there? Please help!" Sissi cried out hoping that someone nearby would rush to her aid. Unfortunately for her, no one came, she was alone, alone to face this menace in her room. Realizing this, Sissi's look changed from sheer fright to rock-steady determination.

"Keep yourself together Sissi. This is no time for you to be screaming your pretty little head off. If you stay here, than this, this THING is going to kill you. Take charge! Find your own solutions! Just do SOMETHING other than cowering in fear, this is not the way you want to leave this planet now do you?" She thought to herself.

Sissi began to look around the smog for ways to escape her room. She saw a faint glimmer of light cut through the smoke showing her where her door was.

"Its going to take a lot more than that to kill Sissi, you pink monster!" She yelled at her enemy before sprinting out of her room.

* * *

Jim didn't get a lot of sleep last night. All he could think about was the newfound rebellious behavior that Jeremie adopted so suddenly. It perplexed him to no end, nagging at his mind constantly, never relenting always there. He just didn't understand it. Why would a star student who had the world at his fingertips would start to act like this. Jim had seen kids act differently before, but none of them held Jeremie's flawless reputation, well it was flawless until he decided to vandalize the school's wall.

"Maybe the guy is having some personal problems that I don't know about? I mean, he only has four friends and is always in his room by himself." Jim said out loud, trying to make sense of the boy's actions.

"That could be it." Upon realizing this, Jim suddenly remembered how he treated Jeremie yesterday.

_"That picture isn't going to clean itself off you know!" _

_"You seem to be the guilty party here" _

_"Maybe with your parents on your back you'll shape up and fly right!"_

You think I was too hard on the guy?" Jim asked himself, worried that he only made matters worse by dumping even more grief on the boy.

"I'm going to talk to him today, find out what's going on in his life. Maybe then all of this madness will end."

Jim shot out his chest and was proud with himself for thinking of such an unorthodox solution. Feeling much better about himself, Jim climbed the stair case to fulfill his oath but a panic scream halted his plans.

"HELP!"

"Ok my hearing must be out of whack because I just "heard" Sissi scream for help." Jim said while rubbing his ears.

"HELP! PLEASE HELP!"

"Ok that was not my hearing playing tricks one me. That's the real thing!" Jim ran up the stair case as fast as he could and called out to the girl in peril.

"Hang in there Sissi! I'm on my way!"

* * *

Sissi never really liked the whole damsel in distress thing and only used it as an act to get all the boy's attention. She never liked relying on others because it made her feel weak, but this time it was different, _very _different. If she didn't get aid soon, she was going to be dead in the matter of seconds so it didn't really matter to her how weak she felt now, if it meant getting out of this alive then it was worth it.

"Hang in there Sissi! I'm on my way!"

Sissi's ears picked up the gruff voice from down the stair case, Jim was coming to help, she was so relieved but she couldn't slow down, she had to keep running.

"Oof"

Too bad she had to run into Jim at that moment.

"Ok Sissi, I heard you screaming. What's the problem?"

"Smoke Jim, that's what! It was in my room and it was trying to kill me I swear!"

"Is this some sort of epidemic or something of that sort? I just heard Jeremie use that same excuse last night. Look, there is no smoke in our school!"

"Really, then what's that behind you!" Sissi yelled pointing in front of her.

Jim was curious to see what had got Sissi so riled up and looked in the direction that she was indicating.

"Well that would be smoke of course...SMOKE!"

Jim and Sissi both fled down the stairs from the pink cloud and turned into a corner hoping that they would lose it. They pressed their backs against the wall and held their breaths, praying that the being would simply pass by.

"Is it gone?" Sissi asked in a faint whisper.

"Quiet" Jim hushed her in order to keep her quiet but to no avail. The pink cloud soon found the two humans cowering against the wall and crept toward them.

Seeing the cloud draw ever closer, Jim took evasive action. Grabbing the nearest door handle, he opened the door and shoved Sissi inside before he stepped foot in the unfamiliar room. Remembering his disaster training, Jim removed his signature red jacket and placed it underneath the door to block the smoke from entering the cramped room. He wiped the sweat from his brow and patted himself on the back for a job well done. Jim wore a heroic smile on his face before he turned around to see the room he and Sissi were now in before cursing at his rotten luck.

"There's no ventilation shaft here. We're gonna run out of air!" He screamed out.

"Great I'm going to die in a small closet with my gym teacher, what a glorious way to go."

"Don't lose hope just let Sissi. Jeremie is still out there. He might have already left the school to go get help."

"Great the closest thing to Bruce Willias is coming to save us."

* * *

The more Jeremie began describing the gas that almost killed him, the more dangerous the XANA attack became. Aelita was still curious of what the cloud was capable of.

"Internal damages, like what?"

"Death."

"Death!"

"That's right Aelita, if one were to breathe a good chunk of that stuff, then they'll be dead before they know it."

"This is serious Jeremie. We're going to need some assistance."

"I'm sure I can find three students willing to cut their vacations short if it meant saving the world."

* * *

"I'm sure enjoying my vacation," Ulrich muttered under his breath. His week off was anything but exciting. He was in a musty old-fashioned house seated at his teacher's dinning table and watching the aging woman scribble random problems onto her chalkboard.

"Now Ulrich, with a lot of time, patience and hard work, you too will be able to grasp the simple concept of math."

Ulrich soon felt his cell phone vibrate signaling that he got a text message.

"S.O.S. XANA, J." Ulrich read the note to himself. "Just what I need, another XANA attack."

Without even saying goodbye, Ulrich grabbed his backpack and began to run to the factory.

* * *

"This has got to be the strangest sight I've ever seen" the airport security guard said as he looked at the X-ray's display.

The second officer manning the machine quickly moved toward his partner to see what was going on.

"What do you mean?"

"Well this young man here placed his backpack onto the conveyor belt and now look at this!"

The second officer looked at the screen and saw an animal-like skeleton.

"What is it?" he asked perplexed by the sight also.

"It looks like a skeleton."

"Good going Sherlock but that doesn't explain much."

"What do you mean, it looks like a skeleton so I'm going to say it's a skeleton. Would you like to add anything Raymond?"

Raymond looked at his partner and gave him a serious look before speaking again. "It may look like a skeleton, but how many skeletons do you know move on their own?"

"You're right!"

"Of course I am, now whose bag is this."

"That gentlemen's over there" he said, pointing at the purple clad youth standing not too far away.

"Hey you!" Raymond called out, catching Odd's attention.

"Yes"

"What's the deal with your bag? Is it haunted or something?"

Odd walked over toward the machine and saw the skeleton of his K-9 companion.

"Oh that's Kiwi. He's my dog."

"Son do you know that dogs are not allowed to be carried on the plane? They're supposed to be in the cargo bin."

"It's not my fault, I told him to stay, but he wouldn't listen to me. Looks like he snuck inside my bag while I wasn't looking."

Soon Odd's cell phone began to ring.

"Hello"

"Odd it's me Jeremie. We need you back here. XANA has just activated a tower!"

Odd saw that he was surrounded by countless people and if he began to talk to Jeremie normally for sure the secret would leak out sooner or later.

"Oh hi Gran. Gran, it's you!'

"Gran, Gran? Are you ok Odd? It's me Jeremie!"

"Yeah I know you hate it when I call you that, but I'm kinda busy right now."

Jeremie buried his head in shame once he realized that there was no getting through to that boy.

"Look don't worry, I'll be there as soon as I can. Love you, goodbye."

* * *

Herb's family weren't the only ones who were going on a road trip. The Ishiyama's were planning one as well. Everything was set for the trip. The clothes were packed, the supplies secured, the gas tank full, everything was there for the trip to begin. Except for one minor detail...

The car was not moving.

Can't really have a road trip if the car wasn't on the road.

"So what's holding up mother?" Yumi asked her father who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"She wanted to wear her special dress and you know how much she loves that thing." Her dad replied back obviously frustrated by the whole thing.

"Calm down father, it's like what Jin says..."

Yumi's dad was all too familiar with the quote. "I know, I know, one second of anger is one year off your life. Your mother keeps telling me that too."

Jin chuckled to himself in the backseat, and secured his scarf around his neck. His laughter soon stopped once his cell phone rang.

"Jin, this is Jeremie, XANA has unleashed an attack! I've already contacted Odd and Ulrich they should be here shortly."

"Ok. We'll be there in no time. Just hang on."

Yumi's mother threw open the windows of their house catching the father's attention and giving Jin ample time for him to pass on the info to his sister.

"A XANA attack! Now!" She asked shocked to see how quickly the computer program acted.

"That's what he told me."

"Well we better get going now, while our dad is busy talking to mom."

The two siblings soon walked out of the car without their mother or father noticing. Yumi's mom soon walked over to the car and had a smile one her face.

"You would have never guessed what happened. You see, I was looking for my dress when I realized that I sent it to the cleaners. Isn't that funny?"

"It is honey. Except that the children got impatient and just ran off without saying a word.

"Huh?"

* * *

Jeremie closed the display window he used to contact his friends before breathing in a sigh of relief.

"That was impressive Jeremie. You work well under pressure."

"It's nothing Aelita"

"I'm sure if there was anybody trapped in the school, you would be able to guide them to safety."

"Good thing there isn't...wait" Jeremie corrected himself as he realized that he overlooked one MAJOR detail. "Aelita, Sissi and Jim are still in the school!"

"I'm sure they already evacuated the school."

"I highly doubt it. I'm going back to save them."

"JEREMIE DON'T!" Aelita cried out, but her concerns fell onto deaf ears as Jeremie was already riding the elevator to the surface.

Jeremie peddled his scooter for all that he was worth as he rushed to the school. He couldn't just sit at his computer while two people's lives were in danger. He made his way back onto the campus and ran toward the front door.

Fools rush in where angles fear to thread. The cloud knew that Jeremie would soon return to the school to help out his companions. Its target walked to the center of the field where it was waiting to launch its ambush.

"So far so good" Jeremie said to himself. "Now to find Jim and Sissi, they're probably still in the dorms just begging to be rescued.

Jeremie sensed a strange presence circling around him and tried to run away but it was too late. The large pink cloud surrounded him and barred his path as it unleashed its toxic furry on the young boy. Jeremie coughed four more times before his body lost conciseness causing him to collapse on the floor.

"Yumi! Jin! I'm over here!" Ulrich yelled out to the siblings.

"I know" Jin yelled back. "Jeremie told us everything. Are there any short cuts to the factory that I don't know about?"

"Yes there is" Ulrich replied. "We have to cut through the school's boiler room to get there." "I don't care if we have to run through the Gates of Hell, I'm going to the factory right NOW!"

The three friends ran inside the campus and toward the front of the school where they saw a giant pink cloud.

Jin took a nervous step back. "Ulrich, you only mentioned going through the boiler room...YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT TOXIC CLOUDS OF SMOKE!"

Yumi was a lot more calm than her brother. "This must be XANA's doing. I'm no chemistry expert, but I do have enough common sense to figure out that the cloud over there is not friendly!"

Ulrich made a quick turn around. "Ok guys lets head back"

The friends were about to make a hasty retreat when they heard a faint cough in the distance.

"Someone is in there!" Ulrich cried out.

"Yumi stand back. We'll handle this." Jin said as he held up his arm to protect his sister. "Come one Ulrich, let's rock!"

The two boys charged recklessly into the crowd and were able to locate Jeremie with no problems. Ulrich grabbed Jeremie's arms while Jin held onto his legs as they carried him out of the cloud like a wounded soldier. Once they were in the clear, they gently laid Jeremie down onto the field and waited for him to wake up.

Jeremie opened his eyes and allowed his vision to focus on his new found surroundings before speaking again.

"Jim and Sissi are still in the school" he said weakly.

"That's it! I'm going!" Ulrich said causing him to receive an awkward stare from Yumi and Jin.

"Are you crazy Ulrich!" Jin asked. "You saw the number that thing worked on Jeremie!"

"I know, but someone has to save them. I'll keep in contact with you guys so keep me posted, ok?" Ulrich then ran toward the school not thinking of the trouble he was getting himself into.

Jin and Yumi raised Jeremie to his feet and allowed him to use them as human crutches so that he would be able to go to the factory. They slowly inched their way toward their destination with Jeremie using every once of strength he had just so he could keep on moving. Odd picked this moment to make his grand entrance. Leaping off the branch that he was perched on, he landed on the ground in a cat like crouch.

"Hey guys. Did you miss me?"

"Odd, not you too!" Jin moaned. "First Sissi and now this! What is this, National Steal Jin's Entrance Week?"

"Odd what were you doing in that tree?" Yumi asked, curious of his actions.

"I was looking for you guys. Next thing you know, I see you right in front of me. What happened to Jeremie?" Odd asked concerned for his friend.

Jin took it upon himself to answer the question. "XANA released some sort of toxic gas that Jeremie was unfortunately enough to breathe in. He told us that Jim and Sissi are still in the school and Ulrich ran inside to try to save them."

"Ok Odd, it's important that we all get to the factory and keep Jeremie safe in the mean time."

"Looks like Jin is going to take his first dive huh?"

Jin wasn't paying attention to Odd and was apparently talking to himself.

Odd was confused. "Yo Jin, are you even listening to me?"

Jin was still ignoring Odd and continued to talk to himself.

"What the heck is Ulrich thinking! He just ran off into that fog without a single care in his head. Does he have a death wish or something?"

"Jin are you alright?"

"Arrg I can't take this any more!"

"What's wrong with you Aniki?" Yumi asked now worrying if the smoke caused brain damage on top of everything else.

"It's Ulrich. That guy just ran into the school by himself. No one has his back! Odd, take care of Jeremie!"

Odd rushed over to his friend's side to take over Jin's duties. He looked up and saw Jin place his right fist into his left palm.

"Oh no! Jin is cracking his knuckles again. That can't be good."

Jin removed his scarf from his neck and held it in his right hand.

"Um...Aniki, I don't think Jeremie needs to be warmed up right now." Yumi said a little confused by Jin's actions.

"I know where this is going!" Odd said, predicting Jin's next move. "He's not going to Lyoko with us."

"Well if he's not going to Lyoko, where is he...oh no! Jin what are you doing!"

"That school is too big for Ulrich to search alone, somebody has to go in there to help the guy out!"

Jin took his scarf and wrapped it around the lower half of his face before tying the two lose together making a makeshift mask for himself.

"Looks like this scarf has a use for me after all. Wish me luck guys" Jin ran into the cloud after Ulrich.

"Take care of Ulrich for me!" Yumi cried out into the abyss hoping that Jin could still hear her.

"Don't worry sis. I'll look after your knight in shining armor!" Jin's voice echoed back prompting a blush to spread on Yumi's cheeks.

* * *

It was getting harder to breathe with every minute that ticked by. The closet Sissi was in was beginning to slowly lose its supply of oxygen to the two sets of greedy lungs that demanded its resources. Today was just not her day. She almost died in her room, she almost died in the hallway and now, with the way things were looking for her, this closet will be her final resting place. Sissi bowed her head and silent accepted her fate. Knowing that she was going to die, Sissi decided to confess some of her sins in order to leave this realm without any regrets.

"You know why I hated Jeremie's group of friends so much? It was because I secretly wanted to be with them. I despised all of the happiness that they had and I wanted a piece of that too. Maybe that's why I was so mean to them, because deep down inside, I was jealous. Do you know what I mean Jim?"

Jim was caught off guard by Sissi's midnight confession and tried his best to comfort the girl.

"Yeah I do, I'm used to being hated by all you students so I can see where you're coming from. The reason why I'm so hard on you guys is because I see a bright future for all of you and it's just my way of pushing you to your goals. You can't be envious of all the things you don't have. You need to appreciate the things that you are already blessed with, like your friends Nicholas and Herb. I'd love to sit and chat but we have to stop talking now, we're using up too much oxygen."

Sissi was happy that she got that burden off her chest and bowed her head and smiled.

* * *

The trip to the factory wasn't as long as Yumi thought it would be. By the time the three reached the manhole cover, Jeremie had recovered most of his strength and was able to ride his scooter again. Once in the computer room of the factory, Jeremie pressed himself against the wall and began to breathe heavily.

"Ok you two, get in the scanners now! Don't look at me, we got a tower to deactivate!"

Yumi and Odd quickly boarded the elevator and were lowered into the scanner room and stepped inside of the machines.

"You two are heading to the forest region. Transfer Odd. Transfer Yumi." Jeremie said over the factory's speakers.

The two heroes could hear Jeremie cough during the process.

"Scanner Odd. Scanner Yumi."

Jeremie sent the necessary data to Lyoko and set the stage for their arrival.

"Virtualization!"

* * *

Odd and Yumi's bodies slowly began to regenerate in Lyoko. When their bodies were fully formed, they both landed on the floor in a crouch.

"Ok Jeremie the process was a success, everything is accounted for and Odd and I are in optimum shape. "

"That's good Yumi." Jeremie replied from the factory and released two more coughs before finishing his statement.

Odd was the first one to spot Aelita in the distance. "Hey there Aelita!"

The pink-haired girl waved back to him "Hello Odd, Yumi."

"Any idea where the tower is?"

"It's just beyond this stretch on land."

Odd readied his wrist for the upcoming battle. "Well then, let's go!"

* * *

"Ulrich, Ulrich!" Jin called out to the green spec in the sea of pink. Jin saw the boy turned around and noticed that he was holding a handkerchief to help keep the smoke out of his body.

"Jin?" Ulrich asked confused by his sudden entrance.

"Do you have a death wish or something!" Jin screamed out. "There is no way you can find Jim and Sissi alone!"

Ulrich was grateful of how willing Jin was in risking his life for his sake.

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"Ok here's my plan, you'll check the bottom floor and I'll check the top. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Sounds good to me. Oh by the way Jin, nice mask. You the Ninja of Lyoko or something like that?"

"Hardy har har Ulrich" Jin laughed sarcastically. "Let's get to work for Jim and Sissi's sake."

Both Ulrich and Jin charged into the school ready to accept the consequences of their actions.

* * *

"Laser Arrow!" Odd yelled as he began to open fire at the group of roaches blocking their path. He turned his head and saw Yumi throw her trusty fan at the group and making the world one roach safer than it originally was.

"Nice shot"

"It was, but we're not out of the woods yet." Yumi saw one roach charge up another laser blast and was aiming for Aelita. Yumi soon dived forward and took the brunt of the assault for her friend and was knocked back by the attack. Yumi held her abdomen in pain as she felt the feeling slowly subside thanks to Jeremie's program.

"Yumi are you ok!" Jeremie screamed into the mike as the computer brought up the display of Yumi's hit points.

"No broken bones yet."

"Well you three gotta take cover. Things are getting too hot down there."

"Affirmative. How's Ulrich and Jin doing?"

"I'll go check."

Jeremie entered a few commands into the computer and soon enough he was calling Ulrich's cell phone.

"Jeremie it's me." Ulrich replied holding his cell phone in one hand and his handkerchief in the other.

"How are things looking in the school?"

"Well Jin's is searching the top floor right now but we haven't found anything yet."

"Ulrich, get out of there. If you stay in that smoke for a long time, you're gonna die!"

"Ok Jeremie just let me try this last door and I'm out."

"Fine. I'm going to call Jin to see how he's doing."

* * *

Jin was on the top floor and was checking each and every door like a man on a mission. His scarf mask that he made for himself for the occasion was able to filter out some of the smog but his lungs were still taking the blunt of the toxic attack. Suddenly he heard his cell phone ring.

"Jin, you and Ulrich need to head back to the factory. I don't know how much punishment your guys' lungs can take."

"Not until I find Jim and Sissi and I'm absolutely sure that Ulrich would agree with me on this issue!"

It was then that Jeremie began to question the boy's level of reasoning at the moment.

"I don't need to tell you this, but the side effects resulting from the inhalation of the gas you're currently breathing are fatal!"

Jin ignored Jeremie's last statement and checked a nearby door. He was able to turn the handle but the door wouldn't swing open.

"Jeremie, I think I found them!"

"What?"

"Yeah, this door is stuck. They must be trapped inside!"

"Well then go get them."

Jin took a few steps back from the door and screamed.

"HIYA!"

He launched out a vicious side kick that almost knocked the door off its hinges. He looked into the room and was disappointed to find it vacant.

"False alarm Jeremie, no one is inside."

"Jin, you have to get out of there now!"

"NOT WITHOUT JIM AND SISSI!"

"Jin, why are you so hellbent on finding those two?"

"The last time I left someone hanging like this, it was not pretty."

"Jin, you're not thinking this through."

Jin's look of determination soon returned to his face. "Look Jeremie to tell you the truth. I DON'T CARE! There is only one way I'm leaving this building without Jim and Sissi being safe!"

"And what's that?"

"In a body bag." Jin hung up of Jeremie and resumed his frantic search.

* * *

Jeremie resumed contact with the others in Lyoko.

"Ok guys, according to my scanners the tower is only a few feet away from you guys. But you have to get through to the monsters to access it."

Odd, Yumi and Aelita were pinned behind a tree trying to expose as little of their bodies as possible. Suddenly, Yumi saw a large rock on the other side of the path and got an idea.

"Odd, take Aelita to the tower, I'll draw the roaches fire from you guys."

"But how?"

"With this" Yumi placed her hands on her temples. "Telekinesis!"

A red aura began to emit from Yumi as she concentrated on lifting the huge rock to the middle of the path way. The roaches, not knowing any better, fired at the rock and did not notice Odd and Aelita sneak right past them. Yumi dove behind the rock and waited for a break in their fire before unleashing her counter attack. She jumped on top of the boulder and faced the two roaches before throwing her fan. The roaches shot her arm as her fan flew through the air, destroying yet another roach. Yumi held out her hand to catch her fan but was shot again by the reaming roach, brining her life point count to zero.

* * *

Yumi's body was ejected from Lyoko as she stepped out of the scanner showing all the signs of fatigue. She dragged herself to the elevator to join Jeremie.

"Sorry, I've tried my best, but the roaches got the jump on me."

"That's ok Yumi. Odd can handle himself."

"So how's Ulrich and Jin?"

"I was just going to make another call to check up on him."

"WELL THEN DO IT!" Yumi yelled anxiously. Desperate for any knowledge concerning safety of her friend and brother.

"Ulrich, are you there, hello" Jeremie waited a few seconds for an answer but got none. He turned his head to Yumi. "This is bad. Ulrich is not picking up his phone."

Yumi's eyes widened after hearing Jeremie's last remark and hoped that Jin was fairing better.

"What about Aniki?"

Jeremie dialed Jin's number and hoped he was in better shape.

Jin searched through more doors and heard his phone ring again. He checked the display and noticed that the number belong to Jeremie. Jin was not in the mood for another lecture that would distract him from his search and just left his phone ringing.

"Hey there, Jin here..."

"Thanks goodness that you're..."

"My phone is off so leave a message after the beep."

"That's strange. Jin didn't answer his cell phone."

"Did you speak to him before?" Yumi asked worried about her brother's present condition.

"I told him to leave but he said he wouldn't without knowing if Jim and Sissi were alright. Then he got all psycho-determined and hung up on me. Has he ever done this before?"

"No Jeremie not since..." Yumi cut herself off when she remembered when Jin showed a similar pattern of behavior two years ago. She tried her best to keep quiet but one word did manage to escape her lips.

"GHAI!"

"Ghai? Who's Ghai?"

"Never mind Jeremie, there's no use in trying to make Jin leave the school now. He's made up in his mind."

They both looked at the holomap and prayed that Odd would be able to save them in time.

* * *

Ulrich lay on the floor unconscious before Jeremie called on his cell phone to ask him how he was doing. He passed out from the fumes after turning the doorknob halfway catching the attention of the occupants inside.

"Jim, did you hear that?" Sissi asked wondering about the thud she heard outside.

"I did. I'm going to check it out."

Jim opened the door and saw Ulrich's motionless body in front of the doorway.

"He came to save me! Just like in my dreams! I knew he cared for me!" Sissi said almost forgetting the peril that she was in.

Jim pulled Ulrich inside the closet and shut the door once more and noticed the object in his hand.

"Look he's got a cell phone! Now we can call for help!"

Jim inspected the number on display.

"Hmm...Ulrich was about to call this number before his passed out. Let's see who it is?"

Jim hit the send button and waited someone on the other end to pick up.

* * *

Jin's search was taking its toll on him. Little by little, his body began to break down due to the harmful effects the smoke contained. He limped across the hallway, desperate to find the two victims before he had yet another death on his hands. Soon his cell phone rang for a third time but this time he was getting a call from Ulrich.

"Jin here" he coughed out.

"Jin, are you still in the school!"

"Yeah, Ulrich and I came to look for you two. I'm glad you're safe."

"Listen, we're stuck in a closet and need help. Ulrich is here with us but he's not in good shape. Try to get out of the school and get some help now!"

"Ok. I'm on my way down."

Jin plodded down the hallway, each step requiring more and more energy from him. He got to the top of the stair case of the second floor and held the banister for support. His vision started to blur while his knees got weak .

Jim could hear the boy's labored breaths over the cell phone's receiver and instantly began to worry about his well being.

"Jin are you alright!" Jim yelled into the phone. The only thing he heard was the thud resulting from a cell phone being dropped followed by a series of loud bangs resulting from a body hitting the floor.

* * *

THUMP!

THUMP!

THUMP!

Jin's lost control of his frail body for now it was no better than a rag doll. With one final cough, whatever meager grip he had on the building's banister was lost and he began to tumble down the staircase. As a sick twist of fate, his mind was still aware of what was going on allowing him to feel every bone jarring hit his body felt as hit it continued its fall. Every nerve in his system went wild with pain as the jagged steps began to beat him senselessly. Jin's mask became undone as a result of the fall as he lay on the floor of the school sprawled out with a slight smile on his face. Blood began to escape from the side of his mouth forming a small pool by his side.

"Looks like I'm leaving this place in a body bag after all." Jin said, chuckling at his own irony. His laughter soon ended as felt his eyelids grow heavy luring him into unconsciousness. Jin released one last laugh before he blacked out. A last ditch effort made by his body in order for it save whatever little life that was left in the boy.

* * *

Odd and Aelita ran towards the tower in the middle of the forest until Odd ears picked up the familiar sound of a roachester nearby.

"Go one Aelita. I'll handle this."

Aelita turned away and began raising the tree bridge that was needed for her to gain access to the tower. Odd pointed his wrist at the roach and placed himself in a stand-off with the monster. Odd gave Aelita a few more precious moments before firing his weapon.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd and the roachster fired their weapons at the same time. The laser struck Odd, devirtualizing him in the process.

Aelita disappeared into the tower's walls and began typing in the commands needed to deactivate the tower.

AELITA

* * *

Jim and Sissi were coughing their lungs out. The smog finally seeped through the jacket barrier Jim placed underneath the door and was ready to claim three more victims.

* * *

CODE

* * *

The smoke swirled around Jin's dying body. He was in no condition to keep on going and it was only a matter of time before he would pass on to the next world. The being laughed to itself. Here it was, about to vanquish two of its mortal enemies in a single attack. It relished the moment and prepared itself to launch the fatale blow on the school's occupants.

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

However that moment never came. With a quick press of the return key, Jeremie began to set things right.

"Return to the past now!"

* * *

A bright light was released from the factory saving the other's from yet another brush with death. Jeremie himself was affected too as he was now standing outside the school late at night with Ulrich right next to him.

"Jeremie, are you sure you want do this again? I mean XANA is out of the picture." Ulrich asked as he painted Jim's face onto the wall.

"Yeah I am. I want to have more time to work on Aelita's materialization program."

"Well I hope Jim goes a little easier on you this time."

"With the corrections I made on the first picture, I'm sure he will."

BARK! BARK! BARK!

"Well that's my cue to get out of here" Ulrich said leaving Jeremie behind.

"Slow down so I can catch you!" Jim yelled at the dog. Suddenly a loud hissing noise caught his attention causing to stop running.

"Jeremie what are you doing out this late?" He asked confused by the boy's presence.

"Just doing a little late night art work."

Jim looked at the wall and saw that Jeremie painted a beautiful portrait of him. He was wearing a regal grin and wore a beautifully adorned crown, and was holding a scepter with a diamond that was almost as big as his head.

"You know this is a violation of school rules Jeremie." Jim said in a casual tone of voice.

"Yes sir"

"I'm going to have to report this to the principal first thing tomorrow morning. Now go to your room."

Jim waited till Jeremie was fully out of sight before examining the picture once more. A gigantic grin began to spread on his face as an excitement began to build inside of him. Unable to contain his emotions any longer, Jim jumped straight up into the air.

"NOW THIS IS ART!" He yelled out cheerfully.

END

* * *

**Notes form the Author:**

Folks I have some sad news for you. This will be the last chapter of the Code Lyoko: A Retelling series ...With Jin not being in Lyoko, gotcha! Sorry guys (especially you Trillinka) who were waiting for Jin to make his debut in Lyoko. Look I promise that he'll be there in the next chapter. Who knows, maybe you'll get to see why he's so unique after all.

Finally onto you ViciousAssassin I found your review really helpful. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it. I bet you're smiling to yourself right now after figuring out what would Jin do in today's chapter.

Speaking of chapters, the next one I'm going to write will be a little different. It's going to be a quasi FAQ/Outtake chapter to give myself a break and to answer some potential questions from the reading public. Thanks for reading.


	5. Intermission

**FAQ  
**  
**Questions about the author. (Lets just get this out of the way)**

**Q:** What are your general interest?  
**A:** Just read my profile, everything you want to know about me is there.

**Q:**What made your want to write this series?  
**A:** I thought it was a cool idea at first but I didn't come up with it. You see, the idea came from a piece of Evangelion fanfiction titled other paths, where the author did the same exact thing as I was doing, retelling the series from episode one.

**Q:**What pieces of Evagelion fanfiction did you used to read.  
**A:** Tons. My personal favorites were Higher Learning, Sins of the Past, Evanjelly Doughnut, Eva-R, Together We Stand and Accession of the Lamb.

**Q:** Do you have any favorite Code Lyoko fics.  
**A:** Of course, Mayhem Squared by Magicalfairy12 and Oy that Brave Mercutio by Poets of the Fall were the two fics that inspired me to enter the chaotic realm of Code Lyoko fanfiction. My other favorite is The Next Level by Phantom 1. In some way's I consider his work superior to mine since he writes long stories but they're all original, not based off of episodes.

**Q:** I'm curious, what do you look like? (yeah right, like a fan would ask that question)  
**A:** Well like I said, Jin looks like me already. But if you don't wish to use your imagination, you could always e-mail (its in my profile) with a request and I'll send you a picture of myself at my Junior Prom but that will destroy the aura of mystery around me.

* * *

**Questions about the Fic (Warning, some spoilers ahead. Don't read unless you've read the previous chapters)**

**Q:** Why are you're chapters so long?  
**A:** That's simple, each and every episode is a FULL story and for me to them justice, I have to write the FULL story. I don't have the luxery of cliff hanger endings since all my readers know how the episode will end.

**Q:** Are you planning on writing any more original episodes like Deja Vu's Recruit?  
**A:** Yes in fact, I have three more in the wings waiting for you guys

**Q:** Why so many Michael Jackson references?  
**A:** I'm a fan of the guys work (not personal life) and I thought it would be cool to make Jin an excellent dancer just to spice up his character.

**Q:** I've noticed that there are a lot of spelling/spacing mistakes in your fic, do you change them?  
**A:** Usually I read over my old work and if I find any mistakes I update the chapter. Also, I add and tweak a few scenes here and there. They're not big enough to cause any major changes but they're not small enough not to be noticed either.

* * *

**Questions about the characters.  
**  
**Q:** Why do you have some many one-shot characters? (Dave Morgan, Raymond etc)  
**A:** Code Lyoko likes to introduce these characters on a frequent basis. What I was aiming for was to give these guys actual backgrounds and names so the reader can identify them other than "Fireman #1". 

**Q:** Is there a picture of Jin around here?  
**A:** Well actually yes. On the Code Lyoko forums I had someone draw Jin for me and its quiet good. If you're interested to see what he looks like, e-mail me a request and I'll give you the picture.

**Q:** Why do Jim and Sissy seam so "different" here?  
**A:** Jim and Sissy are two characters that a great number of Code Lyoko fans despise. Although I'm not here to change the fan's opinions about them. I am willing to make them seem more "human" here. Both of these individuals have their moments where they show true courage and kindness and I just wanted to revamp their characterization a little more.

**Q:** Why did you create Jin?  
**A:** By me introducing Jin into the series, it gives me an easier time to change things up. Jin changes the group dynamic as a whole as the members now have a new friend to interact with. Plus Jin serves as a testament on how good ACCs (author created character) can add to the story. The biggest complement I have received about him is that he "fits" into the series. People forget that Jin is an ACC and accept him as another cast member. I was determined to give Jin a full story and show lots of aspects of his character WITHOUT having him steal the spotlight from the existing cast.

**Q:**Will we ever see Jin in Lyoko?  
**A:** Yes, in the next chapter

**Q:** Why did you create Dirk and Clayton?  
**A:** I thought the group could use a "real" enemy besides XANA so I wrote Dirk and Clayton to fill in that position. At first they appeared as know nothing bullies but after the first chapter, I've darkened their personalities so they are a nasty bunch.

**Q:** Do you have any pictures of Dirk and Clayton?  
**A:** Unfortunately no. If there's anyone out there who can draw and wants to take up the challenge, please e-mail me for a description of them.

**Q:** Who's a better fighter Jin or Yumi?  
**A:** That's a good question. It depends on how you analyze their styles. During his stay in America, Jin learned several martial arts styles outside of the one that his Sifu taught him. Those styles include, Drunken Boxing, Jeet-Kwan Do, Tae Kwan Do, Judo and Akido. However, Jin's only teachers were, books, videos and his friends so he's hasn't master any particular style. Yumi on the other hand has been training under Master Fong diligently and knows her style very well. So its quality over quantity. Jin can overwhelm Yumi with his various techniques while Yumi can beat Jin with her better attacks.

**Q:** Why did Jin leave to America?  
**A:** That will be answered in future chapters, keep reading.

**Q:** Who is Ghai?  
**A:** He will be revealed in future chapters also

**Q:** Why does Jin roll up one sleeve of his jacket?  
**A:** It's like what he told Odd, it's a fashion statement. However, the sleeve carries a slightly darker meaning that will be revealed in future episodes.

* * *

**Random questions.**

**Q:** Is there anyway I can help? (Wishful thinking from the author)  
**A:** If you plan on aiding me (more wishful thinking) in the production of this fic in any way (proof reading etc.) please e-mail me and tell me your plans.

* * *

**Character Bios**

**Name:** Jin Ishiyama  
**Age:** 14  
**Ethnicity: **Japanese  
**Character Role in Lyoko:** Unknown  
**Weapon on Lyoko: **Unknown  
**Lyoko Power: **Unknown

**Personal Description:** Jin Ishiyama is Yumi's older twin brother. After spending two years in America, Jin has returned home to aid his sister in the fight against XANA by her request. Always listening to his trusty CD player and wearing his headphones constantly, Jin gets along with Yumi's friends, especially Odd, as their sarcastic wits are great sparing partners. Jin is the type of person you would love to have as a friend but hate to have as an enemy. He will defend his friends and family to the death and will not hesitate to jump in the fray for their needs. Although he acts childish and immature sometimes, Jin is capable of moments of profound wisdom and intelligence. His fiery personality sometimes lands him into trouble causing him to charge headlong into battle and not caring for his own safety if it means saving another life. He's overprotective of his younger sister Yumi and will often risk immediate death to keep her safe. It should also be noted that Jin loves to read The Art of War by Chinese tactician Sun Tzu and is always using the tactics to help overcome the next XANA attack.

**Name:** Clayton Mil  
**Age:** 14 (four months younger than Jin)  
**Ethnicity: **Asian/Caucasian Mixed

**Personal Description:** Clayton is Dirk's enforcer. Blessed with the gift of having a massive body, Clayton will not hesitate in using his size to his advantage. However, things weren't always like this. Clayton used to be an uncoordinated individual until Dirk took him in and taught him some basic martial arts. Always by his best friend Dirk's, side, he is willing to fight to protect him. Dirk was able to give Clayton focus and a "purpose" to help challenge the students of Kadic Junior High. Out of the two friends, Clayton is the more queit one and is more willing to solve his conflicts with his fists than with words.

**Name:** Dirk Kap Hwan  
**Age:** 13 (two months younger than Clayton)  
**Ethnicity:** Korean/Chinese/Vietnamese Mixed

**Personal Description:**Unlike Jin, Dirk presents himself in a calm, collected manner always in control of everything that's around him. However, it should be noted that Dirk has several issues regarding his temper for he will have violent outburst if things get a little too hot under the collar for him. This aspect, accompanied by his arrogant attitude make up a deadly mix. Dirk too reads The Art of War by Sun Tzu, using the books strategies to help him with his "people skills".

* * *

**Outtakes  
**  
**Episode 1: Teddygodzilla**

**Jin's Entrance Take 1**

Jin had enough of Sissy's words and was about to step into the light to reveal himself.

"It's simple really..."

SLAM!

Jin's words were cut off as the auditorium's giant door was slammed into his face.

"Maybe standing here was not such a good idea," the dazed boy said before drifting into unconsciousness.

**Jin's Entrance Take 2**

Jin had enough of Sissy's words but was sleepy at the same time.

"Maybe I should take a nap, its not like I'm gonna miss anything."

Jin closed his eyes and feel asleep. Jin opened his eyes and saw a giant teddy bear attacking the students attending the prom.

"Looks like I did miss a lot huh?"

**Jin's Entrance Take 3**

Jin had enough of Sissy's words and was about to step forward. He wanted his entrance to be big and flashy so he stepped into the light and did just that.

A large purple cloud of smoke appeared in front of Sissy, catching the attention of everyone in the room suddenly they all heard a voice coming from it.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the awful prom date you can't shake off. I AM DARKWING DUCK! "Now Sissy, let's get dangerous!"

Yumi banged her head against the wall and wondered why this idiot was related to her at all.

* * *

**Original Episode 1.5: Deja Vu's Recruit**

Yumi saw the unfamiliar shadow in the kitchen and jumped out to attack.

"Judo Chop!" She screamed as she struck the individual in the back of the neck.

"OW! Yumi stop its me, Jin, remember?"

Yumi realized the mistake she made but figured out that since she was handing out a beating, she might as well complete the task.

"Judo Chop!"

"Why me?"

* * *

"Just where do you think YOU'RE going?" Odd asked Ulrich as he was about to leave the room who was still dressed in his sleep attire. 

"Out to see Yumi."

"Dressed like...ah forget it my mistake" Odd watched Ulrich leave the dorm and began to count to himself just waiting for the wackiness to begin.

"Three...two...one...now!"

"AH IT'S SO COLD OUTSIDE! I'M GONNA KILL YOU ODD!"

Odd heard all the commotion outside and chuckled to himself. "Get's him every time"

* * *

"Just what do you want with my sister?!" 

"Nothing much, a little song a little dance."

Yumi looked up at Jin and was fearful of her life she looked up at Jin for reassurance.

"Deal" Jin said.

"WHAT?!" Yumi yelled in complete shock.

"Consider this payback for what you did to me in the kitchen. Have fun with Dirk and Clayton sis."

* * *

**Episode 2: Seeing is Believing**

Yumi turned her head to see what her brother was doing and saw that he was currently singing another Michael Jackson Song.

_'Cause this is thriller, thriller night  
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike  
You know it's thriller, thriller night  
You're fighting for life inside a killer, thriller tonight_

Yumi looked around and expected to see several people giving her brother strange looks. Imagine the look of surpise on her face when she saw several students stand behind Jin and began to perform a syncronized dance routine for a full five minutes.

_'Cause_ _this is thriller, thriller night  
There ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes  
You know it's thriller, thriller night  
You're fighting to survive inside a killer, thriller tonight_

Yumi looked at the dancing crowd with a worried look on her face.

"You know, for such a random dance. That whole thing looked pretty well planed Aniki."

"Yeah it was, read the flyer sis."

**WANTED:** STUDENTS TO COULD DANCE LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON, SEE JIN FOR DETAILS.  
**WHAT:** TO BUST OUT IN RANDOM SONG AND DANCE (LIKE WHAT THEY DO IN DISNEY MOVIES)**WHEN:** WHENEVER JIN STARTS SINGING

* * *

"...and that's what would happen if you tried socking me Clayton." Jin finished his play by play full of confindence. 

"Let's just see about that" With that said Clayton smashed his fist into Jin's jaw knocking him out in one punch

"Looks like he's not that tough."

* * *

"Look Jim, this is a rock band, not a military marching band." 

"Oh come on guys let me in. Hey I can rap too, wanna hear it?"

"Whatever floats your boat."

Jim cleared his throat and began his mad flowing skillz.

_People call me the Jimbo  
Y'all wanna go out and Limbo  
You fellas think you're the leader  
Fool you're nothing but a trick or treater._

Odd cried out to the sky to for an answer from the heavens. "WHY ME! WHY DO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS STUFF!"

* * *

**Holiday in the Fog**

Jim was irrate when he saw the picture that Jeremie drew of him.

"THIS LOOKS NOTHING LIKE ME!"

"Well I..."

Jim then grabbed a black spray can and began to alter the picture himself. Jim stepped away and Jeremie saw that he made no changes except that Jim' darkened his eyebrows a little bit more.

"There that's more like it!"

"Looks like our plan just got a lot more complicated" Jeremie said to himself.

* * *

Jin was acting real strange right now as Jeremie wanted to know why. 

"Why is Jin acting so weird lately." Jeremie asked Odd.

"I think his scarf is on too tight" He replied back

"What's makes you think so?"

"Just look."

Jeremie and Odd both looked up at Jin and saw how weird he could get.

"I'M KING OF THE MONKEY PEOPLE AND HALLOWEEN TOWN HAHAHA!" Jin yelled across the campus.

"Yep you're right Odd. That thing is on_way_ too tight."

* * *

It was getting harder and harder to breath by the moment, the closet's air supply was running out and they were gonna soon suffocate. 

"This is it Sissy, this is goodbye" Jim said drawing in his last breath.

Sissy was about to say her farewells too, until she saw a strange switch in the corner along with a sign.

WARNING: BY TURNING ON THIS SWITCH, YOU WILL INCREASE THE OXYGEN SUPPLY IN THIS ROOM

Sissy turned on the switch and was able to breath again.

"Boy, do I feel stupid" Jim said.

END

* * *

That's it for now folks hope you guys had fun and that most of your questions were answered. Rember if you want the pictures of Jin or myself just e-mail me a request since the site does not allow me to post pictures here. 


	6. Episode 4: Logbook

Words from the Author  
  
Man I'm treading on some dangerous ground here. Today I'm retelling Dr. Thinker's and a lot of Code Lyoko fan's favorite episode, let's not screw this up.  
  
Disclaimer  
  
You guys know the drill. Don't sue me cause I'm not making any cash off of this thing. (Wish Antefilms picked this stuff up) More wishful thinking

* * *

Episode 4: Logbook  
  
It was common protocol for students using the dorms provided by the staff of Kadic Junior high to keep their rooms in a neat and orderly fashion. Unfortunately for these people, there was one student who decided to violate this code of conduct. He rummaged through his drawers and spilled its contents to the floor. He opened up his closet and left the clothes inside of it in disarray. When the madness ended the boy succeeded in leaving a gigantic mess in his wake but he was not satisfied.  
  
Odd soon walked into the room whistling an unfamiliar tune and not only discovered the chaos but the person who caused it as well.  
  
"Hello there...WHAT THE?!" He exclaimed at the top of his lungs.  
  
The person responsible for all of this was Ulrich.  
  
"What's the meaning of this?!"  
  
You see Ulrich's intension was not to create a giant mess like he did now but to prevent an even bigger mess from leaking out if he didn't find the precious item he was looking for.  
  
"Sorry Odd, I'm just looking for something that's really important."  
  
"And you had to turn the room upside down to find it?!"  
  
"I didn't mean to. Look, I'll clean up everything don't worry."  
  
"You wanna go to the cafeteria and snag a bite to eat before class?"  
  
"I'll pass on your offer. I really need to find this."  
  
"It's your funeral. Happy hunting."  
  
After searching through every nook and cranny in this room, Ulrich came up with one conclusion. The item that he sought was not here. As he began to tidy up his living space, he began to think of possible locations of where it could be. He knew he left it in its usual place, it's not the sort of thing he would like parading around but if that was the case, where could it be? The only thing he could do was to continue on with his day and pray for a memory that would reveal the location of what he was looking for. Seeing that there was no use for him standing in an dorm room by himself, Ulrich stepped outside and encountered yet another unexpected guest.  
  
"Hello Sissy" Ulrich said flatly while looking at the girl who was leaning against a nearby wall.  
  
"Looking for something Ulrich dear? I think I have a few answers for you...and demands."  
  
Ulrich went wide eyed after hearing Sissy's offer. Whatever she had in store for him, it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

While Sissy filled Ulrich's head with explanations, Odd filled himself up with food. Now completely satisfied with his meal, Odd patted his stomach and leaned back in his chair.  
  
"Ah yes five pieces of toast and a good portion of fruit can fill you right up."  
  
Jeremie decided to eat lite that morning and used his time in the cafeteria to get in some much deserved reading.  
  
"I wonder Odd, do you have a regular stomach like the rest of us, or do you have a small black hole down there that just swallows everything that get's close to it.  
  
"Hey I'm hungry, give me a break Einstein."  
  
Odd leaned back into his chair and began going over his schedule for the day to see if there was anything interesting plans that the school had in store for him and sure enough there was. Today was the day the school arranged a field trip for his P.E. class to the local swimming pool. Sure Odd wasn't a big fan of the activity, but a field trip was still a field trip.  
  
"So Jeremie, you coming with us to the pool or are you going to skip out again as usual"  
  
"The later. I want to get as much time as possible so I can finish Aelita's materialization before XANA creates any more chaos."  
  
The mentioning of XANA triggered several memories that Odd had about Lyoko. Most of them involved himself saving Aelita, and the world, from impending doom. However, as much as he cherished these thoughts, there was something, more like someone, missing from them, Jin. Odd had sit through two full XANA attacks and on both occasions, Jin opted to stay behind. Although Jin was not too willing to reveal any details about his character in Lyoko, maybe Jeremie would, he help create him after all.  
  
"Hey Jeremie, can I ask you a question?"  
  
"You already did Odd, but shoot."  
  
"What can you tell me about Jin's character? I'm DYING to see it!"  
  
"Jin warned me about this. Look you just have to wait for another XANA attack to see it."  
  
"But he's attacked twice already!"  
  
Jeremie closed his book and gave into his friend's constant begging.  
  
"Ok Odd I'm not going to tell you much but listen up."  
  
Odd immediately sat up and was ready to absorb all the information that Jeremie was going to give him like a sponge.  
  
"Before we began the process, I told Jin about the different classes your character's fall under."  
  
"Classes?"  
  
"You see, each of your characters serves a different role in Lyoko. Ulrich is primarily an offensive class while Yumi is defensive and you Odd serve as the speed class. You're character allows you to run circles around your enemies and attack quickly before they know what's going on."  
  
"I think I could have figured that out Einstein."  
  
"The point is, although all three of your characters serve different roles in Lyoko, all of your strategies are the same."  
  
"Which is..."  
  
"To put it bluntly. It's walk up to the monsters and hope they go boom."  
  
"That is pretty simple."  
  
"Well, I told Jin about your character roles and he said he wanted to do something a little different."  
  
"Different?"  
  
"Yes, the character Jin and I created will prove to be very useful in Lyoko as it plays off of all your unique strengths. However, because of these new features I placed in his character, Jin has to use a completely different fighting style than you three."  
  
"Sounds really cool Jeremie, but why not give use those special tweaks you gave him?"  
  
"You're characters are pretty much frozen in the database and can't be changed that easily. Plus, Jin's character is not as powerful as you think. With all these new implements I gave him, we had to make certain sacrifices."  
  
"Sacrifices? Like what?"  
  
Jeremie scanned the caffeteria and saw that it was beginning to fill up with people.  
  
"You're going to have to wait for an answer for that question Odd. With all these people in here, our cover will be blown for sure and besides it's almost eight and Yumi and Jin will be arriving shortly. Let's go meet them at the gate."  
  
The two boys packed their things and awaited the arrival of the two day students.

* * *

As usual, Jin had his precious headphones on but this time, they were not connected to his CD player. He decided to pass the time by talking to his sister.  
  
"So Aniki, you enjoying yourself back at home?" Yumi asked just curious on how her brother felt after being up rooted from America. It's been at least a month since he had returned and he seemed to be enjoying himself.  
  
"Well aside from almost being killed by a teddy bear and falling down the staircase of your school, it's been pretty cool here. I'm just a little anxious when I have to finally take the plunge in Lyoko."  
  
"Don't worry Jin' I'm sure you'll do fine."  
  
"Thanks sis, I needed that."  
  
Yumi looked up and saw that Odd and Jeremie were already waiting for them.  
  
"Looks like the welcoming comity is here." Yumi said as she waved to her two friends.  
  
"Some comity." Jin huffed in sarcasm. "Where's the complementary gift basket?"  
  
Odd was the first to approach the two siblings.  
  
"Hey guys" He said with a huge smile on his face.  
  
Jin noticed that someone was missing from this welcome wagon.  
  
"Where's Ulrich?" Jin asked wondering about the boy's presence.  
  
"He was in his room looking for something."  
  
Yumi spotted the boy in question and the new "company" he was keeping. Seeing the sight made her blood boil. Her breathing became more labored while she squeezed her hands into fists.  
  
"Why is Ulrich with Sissy?" She said as her temper began to flare.  
  
"HE'S DOING WHAT?!" The three boys cried out in unison just as shocked as Yumi was.  
  
"Look for yourself guys."  
  
The rest of the boys turned their heads towards then entrance to the cafeteria and saw Ulrich and Sissy resting on the steps. They were having a conversation and Sissy seamed bright and cheery, as she was talking his head off.  
  
"It's official, Hell has frozen over." Odd said with a wide eyed stare.  
  
"I think the very laws of nature have been compromised to allow this anomaly to occur!" Jeremie said equally frightened.  
  
"I can't believe Ulrich would..." Before Yumi could lose her temper, Jin held up his arm to silence the group.  
  
"Hold it guys, let's not jump the gun here."  
  
"What do you mean Aniki? Let's not jump the gun?! Ulrich is with Sissy! Can't you see that?!" Yumi growled.  
  
"Of course I can see that but you guys are missing one important detail."  
  
"What?!" They all asked.  
  
"For someone who's with their "significant other", doesn't Ulrich look a little too grim for such a romantic scene?"  
  
The rest of the group took a good look at Ulrich's face and saw no trace of happiness or warmth in his expression. He appeared to be apatetic and uncaring of Sissy and was just staring off into space.  
  
Yumi's anger soon left her body as she saw Ulrich's gloomy expression.  
  
"He looks like he's on death row or something." Yumi said in her normal tone of voice.  
  
"Well that's how being with Sissy feels like." Odd joked.  
  
"I wonder what those two are talking about?" Jeremie asked, thinking of the endless conversation topics that the two could be discussing.

* * *

"You have my diary?!" Ulrich exclaimed worried about the consequences he would receive if Sissy read its contents.  
  
"Don't worry Ulrich dear, your secrets are still safe in your little notebook. I've only glanced through a few pages but I saw nothing serious."  
  
"How do I know you're serious?" Ulrich asked wondering if the girl was bluffing.  
  
"One word...Lyoko."  
  
Ulrich's eyes went wide. Sissy was defiantly not lying. Hey had to do whatever it takes to get his diary back or else she will reveal everything about the factory and Lyoko.

"This is really low Sissy. What do you want with me?"  
  
"You're going to start being with me just like a real couple." Sissy said dreamy eyed as she thought of the possibilities of her and Ulrich being together.  
  
Ulrich was right, Sissy's plan did not play out in his favor, he had to find a way to get his diary back from Sissy's clutches.  
  
"And what are you going to do if I refuse your little offer Sissy?" Ulrich asked not knowing of the consequences.  
  
"Then your precious diary goes public for all the school to see."  
  
"WHAT?!" Apparently, Sissy had been doing her homework as this was a well thought out scheme she had going on here.  
  
"Of course I won't be doing it alone. I have a few "special friends" that would be more than willing to see you suffer."  
  
Ulrich tried his best to keep his cool. "Does this "special friend" know of your plan yet?"  
  
"Of course, I always keep my associates well informed of all the details and he's one of my biggest aids. The resources he possess are virtually endless. If you were smart Ulrich, I'd take the smart way out and start treating me like your girlfriend."  
  
Ulrich bowed his head in shame. Today was going to be a long day for him. He just hopped that Yumi wouldn't take this the wrong way. He held up his hand for Sissy to take as they both walked to their first period class hand in hand.

* * *

"Ok that's it! I'm calling a team meeting NOW!" Yumi yelled catching the attention of all her friends and a few passers by.  
  
"Uh..Yumi" Odd said, holding up his index finger. "We're all here right now."  
  
"Don't start with me right now Odd. I am SO not in the mood."  
  
"Ok Yumi what is it?" Jeremie said filling in his usual role as the voice of reason.  
  
"Sissy has something on Ulrich and its gotta be pretty bad for him to just comply with her demands like that."  
  
"Point taken" Jin said trying not to interfere with his sister's thought process.  
  
"Here's the plan guys. Odd and Jeremie, you two go find out what's going on with Sissy and Ulrich then report the information to Aniki and me so we can rectify it."  
  
RING!  
  
The school bell rang prompting the students to go to their respected class or faced being marked tardy by their teachers. The group of four friends quickly parted an went to class with each member ready to carry out their assigned duty.

* * *

Jeremie watched Sissy and Ulrich for this entire time. He couldn't really pick up on any important details for in his previous four classes and continued to stalk the "couple" in hopes of finally figuring out Sissy's secret. As his eyes swept across the room, Jeremie took special note to see if any other students were in on Sissy's take.  
  
His first suspicions were Herb and Nicholas who were siting in the back of the room. The two lackey's were always interested in the little "games" Sissy played on their group but this time, they looked completely clueless. In fact, if Jeremie didn't know any better, he could have sworn that Herb looked jealous right now. Watching the two "act" like a real couple.  
  
"Ok scratch Herb and Nicholas from my list of suspects" Jeremie thought as he continued his search.  
  
Mike?  
  
Naw, the only plan that guy could think of was how to make himself a better air drummer so that puts him out of the running.  
  
Naomi?  
  
Ok, now that was a stupid guess.  
  
Clayton?  
  
What was he thinking? If Jeremie thought that Naomi was a stupid assumption then Clayton was the head jester of idiotic guesses. Trying to get an idea out of Clayton's head that DIDN'T involve pommeling someone to a bloody pulp was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It was not going to happen.  
  
"Hold it!" Jeremie thought as he was just hit by a stroke of genius. "Clayton can't think of an idea, but his close friend can...Dirk!" Dirk was an obvious candidate to be aiding Sissy since he was always at odds with his group. But then again, Dirk wasn't the type of person to work under others. He was the opposite, controlling people behind the scenes and having people work for him. However, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Jeremie decided to try to get the answer straight from the horse's mouth by asking Ulrich directly, but that required him to be separated from Sissy, which was no easy task.  
  
"Looks like I'm going to need your help Odd...Odd?" Jeremie wondered why his friend wasn't answering until he heard an all too familiar snore nearby.  
  
"You sure pick the best people to work with Jeremie" he sighed to himself.

* * *

Ulrich was right, today proved to be very long and tortuous for him. Not only was he almost joined at the hip with the annoying pink pest sitting next to him, but he was now in Mrs. Hertz, physics class. An entire period of Mrs. Hertz on his list of "fun things to do" ranked slightly lower than sitting in a tub full of scissors but then again, he didn't really have a say in anything right now. Sissy was holding a Royal Flush while he was stuck with a lousy pair of duces. So until his diary is recovered, Sissy held all the cards and he was at her mercy. Ulrich could only wonder what thoughts were running through that diabolical head of hers as she continued to smile in his direction.

* * *

Sissy was on Cloud Nine right now. Several times today she kept pinching herself to see if she was dreaming and the pain she felt in her arm kept reminding her that this was indeed VERY real. Of course, she knew that true love could never be born from dishonesty and deception. She figured out that, with enough time, Ulrich would finally realize how grateful he truly is for constantly being in the presence of her radiating beauty and will drop Yumi in a heartbeat. It was going to take time and right now but Sissy was not in a hurry. She could live in this moment for eternity. Side by side with her dear sweet Ulrich.

* * *

For once in his life Dirk did not know what on Earth was going on. He's was in Mrs Hertz's class that was for sure and knew the room inside out. Repeating the year can do that to a person, but academics was not the issue of the day. He had an interesting "conversation" with a certain young girl and for some reason, the proposition she made was very tempting since it involved one of his mortal enemies as a target. There was just one flaw in the girl's plan...  
  
He didn't think of it and therefore was not in control of it.  
  
Dirk REALLY hated playing with an incomplete deck of cards and he knew that the woman he was working for had a few aces in her sleeves. He loved being judge, jury and executioner in all his schemes, overseeing every single step of the process. Combing through each move with surgical-like precision making sure that no action was wasted.  
  
But he couldn't do that here. No, no, no, he just couldn't do that, not with this plan. He just didn't like taking orders from ANYONE. He could still recall that conversation that got him into this mess in vivid detail.

* * *

"What did you say kid?" Dirk asked a boy a little older than he was.  
  
"I'd say you better stop this right now or else Jin and Ulrich will come over here and put you guys in your place!"  
  
Dirk took a step back as if he was stabbed in the chest. After he and his "friends" were defeated by Jin, Ulrich, Jeremie and his former target, Yumi, he never wanted to hear those names ever again. It's only been two days since kids stopped calling Jin the "Dirk and Clayton Slayer" and now here he was, being insulted by some punk kid.  
  
"Say that again." Dirk said leaning closer to the boy to intimidate him.  
  
"You heard me! Ulrich and Jin will wipe the floor with you anytime of the week!"  
  
Dirk withdrew his face from the boys proximity and began to straighten out his shirt's collar and spoke again.  
  
"Such a shame that you think of those two so highly. Your hero worship will yield you to nothing but pain and misfortune."  
  
Dirk released a crisp snap in the air. Clayton knew the signal all too well as he grabbed the poor boy by his collar and pulled his closer to where he was standing.  
  
"I guess you will serve as an example for those individuals out there who just can't hold their tongues. Will you do the honors Clayton?"  
  
"With pleasure"  
  
The boy closed his eyes and braced himself for a quick beating but it never came as a voice rang across the campus.  
  
"STOP!" A female voice called out.  
  
Sissy was looking for the two boys all day and was happy to find them here. She quickly noted the compromising position that they were in and decided to use it for her advantage.  
  
"And just what do you think you're doing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"None of your business drama queen!" Dirk lashed out.  
  
"Well it looks like your large friend was about to assault another student with you being the instigator of the fight."  
  
"What's the deal here lady?! Do you carry around the school rule book in that handbag of yours?"  
  
"Well my father is the principle of this school. You kind of pick up on these sort of things real fast."  
  
"What do you want from us?" Clayton asked still holding the boy in his clutches.  
  
"I have an offer that you two gentlemen would be interested in."  
  
"What on Earth can you possibly have that would make you think so?"  
  
"It concerns Ulrich"  
  
Dirk's calm demeanor was broken with a look of shock in his eyes.  
  
"Clayton, let go of the kid. We have business to discus."  
  
Clayton complied with Dirk's request before turning to face Sissy.  
  
"Ok I'm listening Sissy. Spill."  
  
"Well I have something that he deeply cherishes and if Ulrich doesn't do what I say, I'm going to have to get you two involved."  
  
"And what's that?" Dirk still not knowing Sissy's true intent.  
  
"That's all I'm gonna tell you,"  
  
"Some plan you got there. Count us out."  
  
Sissy expected to have a rough time with the two boys and already had a counter measure incase they didn't want to help her.  
  
"I wouldn't leave if I were you."  
  
"Why not, you're plan has more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese."  
  
"Spare me the similes Dirk and listen up. If you help me, I'll be more than happy to turn a blind eye and not inform my father of the little "incident" that I just saw."  
  
Dirk had spent the last mouth carefully crafting the allusion that he was now a well-behaved student along with his friend Clayton. This image has allowed him to continue his activities outside the classroom without too much interference from the faculty. He did NOT want to lose this "reputation".  
  
"If I were to get involved" Dirk said in his usual professional tone of voice. "What would happen to Ulrich."  
  
"Well if you were to get a hold of this item, then Ulrich would be devastated."  
  
If Sissy's plan worked, Ulrich would be reduced to a shadow of his former self and become an easy target for Dirk to finish off.  
  
"I have to admit Sissy" Dirk said with a sly smile. "You have sparked my interest. But remember, I'm not doing this because I like you. I'm doing this to get back at that bastard and all his friends."  
  
"I not too fond of you either Dirk but for now we're partners. My silence in exchange for your resources. Deal?"  
  
Sissy extended her arm for a handshake which Dirk returned.  
  
"I really don't have a choice here but anyway, deal."

* * *

Dirk could not believe that he was suckered so easily by the likes of Sissy. He was just her puppet, acting out in her grand production.  
  
"Mr. Kap Hwan!" Mrs. Hertz;s voice boomed from across the room causing Dirk's to focus on his teacher. "Would you mind answering the problem for us?"  
  
"I think I'll pass on this one teach."  
  
"Well then, how about you Clayton?"  
  
Clayton answered by shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"If you two keep this up, your going to have to retake this class for a third year!" She looked around the room to see if she could find anyone who could answer her question.  
  
"Odd!"  
  
Mrs. Hertz saw Odd's sleeping form resting on his desk and still snoring. Jeremie rammed his elbow into Odd's rib cage causing him to wake up.  
  
"Is it lunch time already?" He asked, still groggy from being roused from his sleep so early.  
  
Mrs. Hertz was too frustrated by the whole ordeal and resumed her lecture. Thus giving Dirk more time to ponder his role in Sissy's scheme. He turned his head towards the couple and saw the bright smile on her face and the glum expression that Ulrich wore.  
  
"Whatever she has on the guy it must obviously be pretty big. She's got him wrapped around her pinkie like a twenty-four karat ring. Well if she not going to tell me what the hell is going on here then I'll just have to make some plans of my own."  
  
Dirk pulled out two small sheets of paper and scribbled a note on each of them He then removed a green object from his pocket and attached it to the first note. After tapping Clayton on his shoulder to catch his attention, he slide the two pieces of paper to Clayton which he placed in his pocket.  
  
"Give those to our friend Sleeping Beauty over there after class."  
  
Clayton gave Dirk a silent nod and was unsure where his friend was going with this.

* * *

"So did you find anything Jeremie?" Odd asked curious of the investigation.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"Well you better find out soon, after lunch they'll be picking us up to go to the pool."  
  
"Fine, we'll use the direct approach then." Jeremie said, playing his trump card.  
  
"Direct approach?"  
  
"You distract Sissy and I'll ask Ulrich what's going on."  
  
"Now that's a plan."  
  
RING!  
  
Odd rose from his seat and prepared himself for his favorite period, lunch. He turned around and walked to the door only to have his path blocked by a very large student.  
  
"What do you want now Clayton?"  
  
Clayton didn't say a single word but instead shoved his meaty palm into Odd's chest knocking him back slightly.  
  
"For you" Clayton said as he retreated his hand from Odd's body allowing the two notes to float harmlessly on his desk.  
  
Odd picked up the notes and noticed that one note was slightly heavier than the other and decided to read that one first.Please give the second note to your friend Ulrich.

* * *

_Here's a payment for your help. I always reward others for their services...including my enemies.  
  
— Dirk_

* * *

Odd checked the note once again and saw that there was a twenty dollar bill attached to it. He stuffed the money in his pocket and ran over to Sissy.  
  
"Hey Sissy I need your help!"  
  
"Why should I help you?" Sissy asked disgusted by his presence.  
  
"Because you're the only one with enough intelligence and sincerity that could handle a problem like this. Odd lied through clenched teeth.  
  
Sissy couldn't resist being flattered like that and agreed to help. Leaving Ulrich alone with Jeremie.  
  
"Ok let's cut to the chase Ulrich. Why have you been with Sissy all this time?" Jeremie asked skipping all the small talk knowing that time was of the essence.  
  
Ulrich was slightly embarrassed of what was he going to tell Jeremie but he knew he couldn't leave him in the dark. "I've been keeping a dairy."  
  
Jeremie couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ulrich keeping a DIARY?! He had to ask again just to make sure.  
  
"A what now Ulrich?"  
  
"A diary! There there are you happy now?"  
  
Jeremie decided not to hold that fact against him and continued his game of twenty questions.  
  
"Ok so what's the deal with it?"  
  
"Well Sissy stole it from our dorm when I was out."  
  
Jeremie could see where this was going a mile away.  
  
"Oh please don't tell me that you talk about Lyoko and XANA in it!"  
  
"Ok then, I won't tell you."  
  
Jeremie let out a sigh of despair. Once again their secret was in jeopardy of being exposed.  
  
"Listen Jeremie, if I start treating Sissy poorly she's going to read my diary in front of the entire school!"  
  
Now Jeremie's alarm bells started ringing. He had to do something about this problem right this instant.  
  
"Ok Ulrich, I have a plan. You're going to go back to Sissy and act like everything is normal while I'll let Yumi and Jin know what's going on."  
  
"Thanks"  
  
Soon Odd came into their view and was holding a piece of paper.  
  
"This is for you Urich." Odd said seriously, I don't like the looks of this.  
  
Ulrich took the note from Odd's hands and began to read it silently.

* * *

_I hear that you're looking for some answers. Meet me on the school's balcony before the end of lunch so we can "talk".  
  
— Dirk  
  
P.S. Come alone_

* * *

Ulrich crumpled the note and tossed it aside right before smashing it into the ground with his heel.  
  
"What does it say Ulrich?" Odd asked, curious of its message.  
  
"Dirk wants to meet me on the balcony right now and we wants me to go alone."  
  
"So what are you going to do?"  
  
"I'm gonna meet him, that's what!"  
  
Jeremie did not like where this was going. "Ulrich, if Dirk is involved, then that meeting has bad news written all over it."  
  
"I think so too" Odd said balling up his fist. "You might want me to come with you. Although I don't really like to fight outside of Lyoko, I think I'll make an exception with Dirk by punching his face in."  
  
"Sorry Odd, but I'm going at it alone. This is my problem to begin with and I don't want you to get hurt in the process all because of my carelessness."  
  
Sissy soon joined in on the conversation and saw the sour look Ulrich wore.  
  
"Ulrich, what's wrong dear?"  
  
"I'm feeling a little light headed right now. I'm going to my room to rest before we leave to the pool."  
  
"Do you need me to walk you there?" Sissy asked worried about his health.  
  
"I can manage." And with that Ulrich walked away to the designated meeting place.

* * *

Ulrich opened the door leading to the balcony, a secret meeting place for Kadic Junior High students. The staff never bothered checking the area to see if students were occupying it. Even the hawk-eyed Jim failed to look here. Sure enough in the middle of the cement arena he saw Dirk with Clayton by his side.  
  
"I'm glad that you made it Ulrich. We have much to discuss." Dirk said grinning at the fact that his plan actually worked.  
  
"Cut the formalities Dirk. What do you want with me?"  
  
"Easy there. No use getting violent...yet. Before we begin, I have to see if you still handle something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"THIS!"  
  
Dirk spun counterclockwise and threw a vicious backhand at Ulrich. Ulrich countered by catching Dirk's arm and twisting it behind his back. Dirk struggled for a few seconds before he saw Clayton rush to his aid.  
  
"CLAYTON STAY OUT OF THIS!" Dirk barked wanting to handle this situation by himself. He then fired an elbow with his free arm causing Ulrich to duck the hit and release his arm. Ulrich soon went on the offensive and threw a left hook at Dirk's head in which he responded kindly by grabbing the arm and wrenching it upside down. Dirk followed up his attack by thrusting out his right hand grabbing Ulrich by the throat.  
  
Ulrich knew that if he didn't act fast then he would not walk away from this fight in good shape. Thinking quickly, he launched a swift side kick at Dirk's left shoulder loosening his grip on his arm allowing him to pull it free. Ulrich then retaliated by grabbing Dirk's throat putting to two combatants at a standstill. They just stood their waiting for the other to make the first squeeze as they gripped each other's necks. Ulrich was surprised to see Dirk release his hold and back off slightly.  
  
"Good" he said with a satisfied grin.  
  
"Why the hell did you do that for?!" Ulrich yelled wondering why Dirk attacked him so suddenly.  
  
"I was worried that all that time you spent with Sissy had made you soft. Looks like it didn't. It's not worth having an enemy that's weaker than you."  
  
"Glad to see that you care." Ulrich spat back sarcastically. "So what were you going to tell me?"  
  
"Ulrich, have you lost anything recently?"  
  
Ulrich saw the connection and mentally kicked himself in the head for not figuring out sooner.  
  
"You! You're Sissy's accomplice!"  
  
"Let's make one thing clear here Ulrich. Dirk Kap Hwan is an accomplice to no one! I call my own shots! I'm doing this out of my free will."  
  
"Why are you telling me this?"  
  
"This is just my way of controlling Sissy's plan. Plus if I do get a hold of this "precious item" that you lost. I want you to know that I was the sole cause of your misery!"  
  
"Thanks" Ulrich replied flatly.  
  
"You know, for such a prep, Sissy can be quiet the evil genius. Maybe she's not all bad."  
  
"Whatever." Ulrich had enough answers for one day and made his way to the balcony's door."  
  
"Hey Ulrich!" Dirk called out.  
  
"What is it now?"  
  
"If I were you, I start watching my back right now on. You've got a lot of people who would love to stick a knife in it."  
  
"Thanks for the advice...or is that a threat?"  
  
Ulrich closed the door behind him and allowed the hallow sound it made to hang in the air.

* * *

No sooner did Ulrich leave her presence did he return.  
  
"How are you feeling now?" Sissy asked.  
  
"I'm better, my head cleared up while I was walking so it wasn't too serious. Shall we go to the bus now?"  
  
Ulrich was trying his best to act like a gentlemen in front of Sissy even though deep down inside he loath every minute he spent in her company. To further develop the charade he created, Ulrich wrapped his arm around Sissy's waist and lead her to the school's parking lot. Jeremie was standing near Sissy while this was happening and had front row seats to this extravaganza. Odd soon began his trip to the school parking lot but stopped to talk to Jeremie one more time.  
  
"There are some things that other humans should not see and this is one of them."  
  
"Glad you feel the same way Odd."  
  
"So what's up with Ulrich?"  
  
"Sissy's blackmailing him. Currently she has his diary and has all the information about Lyoko in her possession. If Ulrich does not do what she wants, she'll read his diary in front of the whole school!"  
  
"Blackmail indeed."  
  
"Let's not forget about Dirk and Clayton involvement as well. If there are two students out right now who want to get back at us, it's them.  
  
"Well we're going now, you along with the Ishiyama's better find that diary while we're gone then. Good luck."

* * *

Jim made sure that the school spared no expense in providing his students with the best method of transportation possible for their trip to the pool today. Sure it was only a simple bus, but it was his special way of saying "I care". Now Jim's streak of good will did not end there. He made sure that he got one of the department's most well-respected bus drivers, James Wallace. Jim was going to make sure that his students were going to have an enjoyable time at the pool today and it was his duty to make sure that they all made it there safe and sound.  
  
"Hey James!" Jim called out from the outside of the bus. "How are things looking in there?"  
  
James was checking the bus's heads up display and was running a systems check to make sure things were operating smoothly.  
  
"Ok Jim, everything here is in tip-top shape. Nothing to worry about. Looks like today is going to be an easy ride."

* * *

The problem with humans is their over reliance on technology. Everything that they used had some sort of computer in it, from electrical appliances to even their shoes, computers ran rampant in their society, controlling almost every single aspect of their lives. However, the being wasn't complaining. More computers meant more options, and the option that the shadow chose was a certain computer operated bus.

* * *

"James, the kids are coming, better get ready soon!" Jim called out again.  
  
"Don't worry I am. Just let me adjust the..."  
  
James saw a black shadow creep across the bus's windshield leaving behind a strange eye on his computer screen. Never in his thirty years of driving had he encountered something like this. Pretty soon the eye disappere and everything returned to normal.  
  
"I'd better retire soon, I'm getting too old for this." He grumbled to himself.

* * *

Odd was the first to arrive at the stop thus making him the first victim of Jim's boasting.  
  
"Ain't she a beauty Odd. Not only does thing bus go really fast, but it's computer operated and doesn't release a lot of pollution."  
  
"Wow, electric and powerful. I bet this crate goes as fast as a snail." Odd climbed the steps inside the bus and gave James a quick "hello nod".  
  
Ulrich and Sissy arrived shortly after and took their seats next to each other without saying a word to anyone else. The other students arrived in droves and boarded the bus while engaged in conversations covering various topics. Jim saw the last two students make their way to the parking lot taking their sweet time.  
  
"DIRK! CLAYTON! COME ON! WE'RE GONNA BE LATE!" Jin hollered at the two stragglers.  
  
Dirk was still rubbing his left shoulder as he made his way to the bus. It was slightly damaged by Ulrich's kick and he tried to minimize its movement to prevent any further injury.  
  
"Is everyone here?" James asked from the driver's seat.  
  
"Yep" Jim said and flashed the thumbs up sign. "Now lets get this trip started."

* * *

_Albert Einstein: famed scientific genius known for his development of the Theory of Relativity and for winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1921. A respected and revered member of the scientific community..._  
  
Certainly not the kind of person that you would like to punch in the face.  
  
All the rage and anger that was building inside of Yumi that day was finally released in one, single, savage strike. She had to hit something and poor Albert was the closet thing she could get her hands on.  
  
Jin was slightly frighted by his sister's actions. He never saw her this angry. But then again, he never saw giant teddy bears, electrical builds ups and pink clouds of smoke before, so there was a first time for everything he concluded.  
  
"SISSY'S DOING WHAT TO ULRICH?!"  
  
Jeremie wondered if Yumi had managed to put a very large hole in his wall underneath his cherished poster.  
  
"You heard me Yumi. Sissy has Ulrich's diary and is using it to blackmail him."  
  
"Well isn't that fine and dandy?" Jin said off handily. "Umm..sis you might want to apologize to Mr. Einstein here, he his a well-respected figure in the field of science."  
  
Jin's remark brought a slight smile to Yumi's lips and was able to curve her anger back down to a controllable level.  
  
"So what do we do then Jeremie?" Yumi asked.  
  
"Isn't obvious? Our fist step is to get Ulrich's diary back, then Sissy won't anything on him anymore."  
  
Jin added onto Jeremie's plan. "Well if we're going to get it back, we might as well start now. Sissy is out of here due to her little field trip giving us a window of opportunity to search her room."  
  
"Great idea Aniki!" Yumi exclaimed. "We'll head over to Sissy's room and see what we can find." The two twins soon left Jeremie's room in search for Ulrich's diary."Brace yourself sis, you don't know what horrible sights we might see in Sissy's room.

* * *

We are about to enter the belly of the beast, so stay on your toes." Jin said faking being scared for his own amusement.  
  
Yumi grasped the door handle that lead into Sissy's room and turned it. Revealing the contents of the room for all to see.  
  
"I'm going inside Jin. You stay out here and be lookout just incase somebody shows up."  
  
"Roger that sis."  
  
Yumi disappeared inside the room and began rummaging through Sissy's belongings. Taking special care not to place everything back in their original position so Sissy wouldn't be tipped off by her intrusion.  
  
"How goes the search Yumi?" Jin asked from the hallway.  
  
"Not too good, Wherever that diary is, Sissy has done an excellent job in hiding it.  
  
Yumi then sat on Sissy's bed and laid down in hopes of clearing her head. She saw a heart-shaped "I Love You" pillow and rested it against her head to make herself comfortable.  
  
"You know, this thing is pretty stiff for a pillow." Yumi said to herself. "It's like Sissy stuffed this thing with a cardboard sheet or something....THAT IT!"  
  
Yumi opened the pillow and sure enough she found a pink notebook inside of it.  
  
"Jin come here! I think I found what we're looking for."  
  
Jin stepped into Sissy's room and was taken back by all the beauty products and appliances that the room contained.  
  
"Sheesh, for a girl that stays in a modest dorm, Sissy sure is living it up here."  
  
"Aniki check this out."  
  
Jin spot the notebook and pumped his fist straight into the air.  
  
"Alright! Mission accomplished."  
  
Yumi finally had Ulrich's diary in her hands. Although she knew it was wrong for her to do it, she began to thumb through some of the pages to see what he was writing in it. However, the more she read, the more uneasy she became. Ulrich sounded so "ditzy" here and the pages kept calling her group of friends as the "Weirdo Bunch". There only one conclusion she could draw from this...  
  
This diary did not belong to Ulrich.  
  
"Jin. I think we picked up the wrong notebook."  
  
"I think I could have figured that out. Pink isn't really Ulrich's color."  
  
"You're right, but it sure is Sissy's!" Yumi said realizing the potentially potent resource she now held.  
  
"Check the latest entry to be sure."Jin said wanting to remove any doubt on the true owner.  
  
"Ok"  
  
_Dear Diary,  
You wouldn't have guessed what I found today, my dear sweet Ulrich's diary.  
_  
Yumi always hated the fact that she called him her "dear sweet Ulrich".  
  
_You see, while he was out eating lunch with the "Weirdo Bunch" I snuck into his room to get a personal possession of his. As I searched through his shelves I expected to pull out a photograph of him or something of that sorts. Imagine my surprise when I saw his diary. I could find out all of his deepest desires and his darkest fears and I knew that I could use this to get him into my company once I tell him that I have his little notebook._  
  
"That little sneak!" Yumi said out loud.  
  
_I know what I'm doing is wrong but it's the only way him and I can be together. And besides, I know that eventually he'll wake up and realize how stupid his friends really are and will finally leave Yumi and the "Weirdo Bunch" once and for all but I can't do this alone. There are only two people I know who would be so willing to help with such a crazy plan. Well I'm off to enlist the aid of certain "troublesome duo"._  
  
"Dirk and Clayton!" Yumi said as she figured out the two people Sissy was referring to.  
  
_Wish me luck with this plan.  
  
— Sissy  
_  
Yumi closed the diary as her anger began to rise again.  
  
"Of all the dirty, underhanded, manipulative things a girl can do!"  
  
"So what are we going to do now?"  
  
Yumi eyed Sissy's diary suspiciously and gave Jin an evil smile as she began to think of the possibilities.  
  
"You don't need to be Sun Tzu to guess what I'm going to do now."  
  
"Are you thinking what I'm thing?" Jin asked giving Yumi an evil grin of his own.  
  
"That's right Aniki, turnabout is fair play. Let's just see how Sissy will like it once she gets a taste of her own medicine."

* * *

Jim looked at his watch impatiently. The bus was moving too slowly for his taste and he didn't want to bring these kids to the pool late after going through the process of nabbing the most high-tech bus out there, and one of the best drivers in the business.  
  
"Hey James, you mind speeding things up a little bit? At the pace we're going, I won't be surprised if I see a snail pass us up."  
  
"I can't do anything Jim" James replied from the drivers seat.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Here, see for yourself."  
  
Jim walked over to the driver's seat and saw that James was indeed flooring the gas peddle but the bus was still going at a slow speed.  
  
"What the heck?" Jim asked.  
  
"See, I'm putting the peddle to the metal and I'm getting nothing."  
  
"Well what do the computers say?"  
  
"That's the strange thing, according to the systems check, everything should be running perfectly."  
  
Jim walked away from James's company and was worried.  
  
"Even the best laid plans go astray." Jim quoted a well know passage from a poem as he hoped that his grief would not continue.

* * *

Too bad, XANA was not the kind of individual to let things go like that.

* * *

James felt a mild electrical shock in his hands as he suddenly lost control of the steering wheel. The bus was no under the command of some sort of unforeseen force as it now overwrote the original drive route and began making its own plans.  
  
"YEOW!" James screamed as he felt another electrical current shoot through his body. This caught the attention of Jim as he ran back to the front of the bus.  
  
"James what's wrong?"  
  
"I've lost control of the bus!"  
  
"Oh no! Why now?! Why me!?" Jim kept repeating to himself. He stopped his rambling and soon saw Odd and Ulrich standing near him.  
  
"What are you two kids doing here, you should be in your seats when the bus is in motion."  
  
"What's the problem mister?" Odd asked the aging bus driver.  
  
"I don't know, first I see this weird shadow then a few minutes later this bus goes haywire. If I make it out of this alive, I'm telling my boss at work that I quit. I'm too old to be facing stuff like this!"  
  
"You two, back to your seats now!" Jim yelled, trying his best to maintain order.  
  
Not wanting to push the already shaky P.E. teacher anymore, Odd and Ulrich returned to their seats.  
  
"I'll call Jeremie" Ulrich said as he picked up his cell phone and began to dial the all too familiar number.  
  
Jeremie's cell phone rang three times before he got a chance to pick it up.  
  
"Ulrich what's wrong?" Jeremie asked, already assuming the worst.  
  
"The driver lost control of the bus he was driving and we think it's XANA's doing."  
  
"Where are you right now?"  
  
Ulrich was well knowledge about the streets of his hometown.  
  
"We just passed by Regalson Street."  
  
"Ok Ulrich, I'll head to the factory and use its computer to try to track down you guys."  
  
"Ok Jeremie and hurry!""

* * *

Aw man sis, I wish I could see the look on Sissy's face after you make your call. She's going to be PRETTY ticked off." Jin said as he rubbed his hands together.  
  
"Oh she will be Aniki. She deserves every minute of it for all the torture she put Ulrich and me through. Now, where can I call her to keep this conversation private?" Yumi pondered the question for a couple of minutes before an idea popped into her head.  
  
"Sorry Aniki, you're going to have to stay behind for this one."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Let's just say that the future discussion is for women only."  
  
Jin watched Yumi run into the girls bathroom and decided to lean against a near by pillar for support.  
  
"Oh boy, this is going to take a while."  
  
Yumi choose a random stall in the bathroom and opened up Sissy's diary so she could flip to a random page. She then dialed Sissy's number on her cell phone and eagerly waited for her to pick up her phone.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Sissy, so good to hear from you." Yumi said in fake excitement. "How's the field trip?"  
  
"Yumi" Sissy growled underneath her breath.  
  
"Why are you calling me? Is it to tell me that you gave up on Ulrich after you saw how happy he is with me?"  
  
"Sorry, but I'm here to give you a little reality check."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Yumi picked up the book so that it was at a comfortable reading level and began to impersonate Sissy as she read one of the passages.  
  
"I don't like that Jim. He's so large and wears that stupid bandage and headband all the time."  
  
"You have my diary!" Sissy hissed into the phone.  
  
"Of course, and I think my friends Milly and Tamiya would just LOVE to get their hands on it for it to be printed in the school paper."  
  
Sissy was in a now in a no win situation. She had to surrender to Yumi in order for her to keep her secrets safe.  
  
"Ok Yumi, you win. What do you want?"  
  
"Tell me where Ulrich's diary is!" Yumi commanded.  
  
"Ok, ok, you don't have to get all hostile on me."  
  
"Believe me Sissy, I have every right to. So start spilling!"  
  
"Third stall in the women's bathroom" she said weakly.  
  
Yumi checked her surrounding and was surprised to see that she was indeed in the third stall. Looking above her on top of the wash bin, sat Ulrich's diary which she quickly snatched into her arms.  
  
"You made the right choice Sissy" and Yumi hung up her phone.  
  
Yumi exited the bathroom stalls and ran outside only to see an impatient looking Jin.  
  
"What's wrong Aniki?"  
  
"Jeremie just called me. XANA has just taken control of the bus that Ulrich and Odd are in!"  
  
Yumi noticed some inconsistencies in Jin's statement. If XANA did take control of the bus, why did Sissy act like everything was normal?  
  
"Wait a second Jin. I just spoke to Sissy and she seemed perfectly fine."  
  
"That's because XANA hasn't done anything to the bus other than make it go at a snail's pace. But that could change at any moment!"  
  
"Where's Jeremie?"  
  
"He went to the factory to see what XANA has in store for the bus. In the mean time we're going to have to go into Lyoko and stop this!"  
  
Yumi stopped herself to think over what Jin just said. He said a key word that instantly caught her attention.  
  
"Jin you said we. Does that mean.."  
  
"Yep, I'm going into Lyoko this time. Did you find the diary?"  
  
"That's an affirmative. I told you before Aniki, I can be quiet a persuasive person myself."  
  
"So now the only question is this. Park or boiler room?"  
  
"Let's go through the park since it's closer."

"You're call."

* * *

Sissy turned off her cell phone and hung her head in shame. All that careful planning was reduced to ashes in the matter of seconds. Ulrich saw Sissy's change in mood and realized that his friends back at the school came through for him and bested Sissy at her own game.  
  
"You see Sissy" Ulrich said while he was getting up to sit with Odd. "This is what real friends do to each other. They help one another when their in need. They don't shut each other out in the cold and ignore their problems."  
  
Herb was relieved to see Ulrich move away from Sissy and soon occupied the seat that he vacated.  
  
"Thank goodness that pest is gone huh Sissy? I thought he would never leave." Herb said no longer jealous of the individual.  
  
"Herb, if you want to keep my friendship, the you'd stay quiet for this entire trip." Sissy said still feeling melancholy for being beaten by Yumi.  
  
Herb just sat next to Sissy and was enjoying the simple pleasure of being by her side until he heard the bus's engine rev up causing the whole vehicle to increase its speed.  
  
This violent shift in momentum caused the students inside the bus to be tossed and turned and in the case of one unfortunate young boy. Be slammed against the floor.  
  
Mike was minding his own business when he suddenly found himself being thrown forward from his seat. His head collided onto the floor causing it to bounce skyward before settling back down. He was immediately knocked unconscious.  
  
Naomi saw the whole thing happened and called out to the front of the bus.  
  
"Jim come quick! Mike has been hurt!"  
  
Jim ran to the back of the bus to attend to Mike's injuries. Ulrich and Odd knew that they had to act fast.  
  
"I'll head over to Lyoko" Odd said wasting no time.  
  
"And I'll stay here and keep in touch with Jeremie. Odd, be careful."  
  
Odd ran to the front of the bus and tired opening the door. However, some mysterious force was pushing against him, trying to prevent him from escaping. Odd knew that the door could be forced open, it's just that he lacked the upper body strength to do so.  
  
"Looks like I'm gonna need some serious muscle here if I hope I can get to the factory."  
  
But then again, who could he call? Jim was in the back taking care of Mike's concussion and Ulrich, no offense to his best friend and all, but Ulrich wouldn't be able to make this thing budge either. There was only one person Odd knew who could help him get this thing open, and he really hated asking him for help.  
  
"Hey Clayton! Help me get this door open!" Odd called out to his arch nemesis.  
  
Clayton looked up at Odd and gave him an icy glare.  
  
"Why should I help you?"  
  
"It's because, if I don't get out of this bus now, then we're all gonna die!"  
  
The urgency in Odd's voice proved to been enough to make the large man move to the front of the bus. Clayton and Odd both grabbed the edge of the door and began to pull for all they were worth. Slowly but surely, the door was forced open. Clayton held the door in place while Odd got in position to take his leap of faith.  
  
"Wish me luck"  
  
Odd jumped off the bus and hit the road at a high speed. His body rolled on the asphalt for a couple of feet before coming to a skidding halt. He stood up and cradled his arm which took the full force of the impact and watched the bus speed of into the distance.  
  
Clayton soon let go of the door and watched it closed shut in front of him as he allowed his body to relax after straining it so much.  
  
Ulrich witnessed Odd's demonstration of insanity and called Jeremie once more.  
  
"Jeremie, are you in the factory yet?"  
  
"Yes Ulrich I am, I sill can't pin point your location. Where are you now?"  
  
Ulrich looked out his window and saw many familiar shops pass by.  
  
"We just drove by the downtown shopping district."  
  
That bit of information was all that Jeremie need to locate the bus on the city map.  
  
"Ok I found you guys. Just give me a second to see where this bus is going."  
  
The factory's computer began to process the information from the bus's computer system to see where it was going. A solid blue line traced the bus' path as Jeremie began to follow it with his eyes to its final destination. The line stopped at a very large building in the city and Jeremie knew all two well what that building was.  
  
"Ulrich, XANA is taking the bus to the chemical plant!"  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"I was able to hack into the bus's computer and that's where XANA is sending you guys. Ulrich try to keep things under control over there. I'm going to send Yumi and Jin into Lyoko so we can deactivate the tower."  
  
"Speaking of that Jeremie, Odd is on his way to the factory."  
  
"I thought he was in the bus with you?"  
  
"_Was_ is the key word here Jeremie. Odd jumped off just a few minutes ago."  
  
"What is he crazy?!" Jeremie asked completely shocked that Odd was so willing to do something..so..so..so stupid.  
  
"Well he had to be. Any sane person would just chicken out and take shelter in the bus."  
  
"And I thought Jin was the crazy risk taker."  
  
"They both are Jeremie."  
  
Suddenly both Ulrich and Jeremie heard the engine rev up again causing the bus to go even faster than before.  
  
"Look Jeremie, I have to go, things are going to get real ugly here."  
  
Ulrich hung up his cell phone and stood in the middle of the isle to command the occupant's attention.  
  
"Listen everyone! We're going to be in for a bumpy ride. Hold on to your backpacks and use them as air bags. We're not out of the woods yet!""

* * *

Aelita are you there!" Jeremie called out to his virtual friend.  
  
"Jeremie, XANA has just activated a tower in the desert region."  
  
"I know, he's taken control over a bus and he's going to crash it into the chemical plant and Ulrich is still inside."  
  
"Well then we just have to deactivate the tower then."  
  
"Aelita, don't do anything until I send over help."  
  
"Ok I will."  
  
Jeremie began tapping his finger against his computer and waited for Yumi and Jin's arrival.  
  
"Now where could they be?""

* * *

KIYA!" Yumi screamed as she threw her skateboard to the floor so she could mount it. Time was of the essence here and they couldn't waste a single second. Yumi approached the gap in the sewer in which she easily hopped over on her skate board and turned around to see how Jin would handle such a jump.  
  
Jin wasn't as skillful at riding his skateboard as his sister was, but he did have his ways on overcoming certain obstecles like this jump in front of him. Jin hopped off his skateboard and held it tight with his right arm. He soon ran towards the gap and leaped into the air and placed the board at his feet at the last possible moment before impact. They reached the ladder and ran towards of the factory not missing a single beat, and grabbed onto the ropes and swung as far as they could towards the elevator. Yumi landed on her feet and slid to a stop while Jin was a little more flashy. Using the momentum he picked up while swinging, Jin threw all his weight backwards as he jumped from the rope. Jin's body arched in the air as he performed a graceful backflip, landing on the factory floor without a scratch on him.  
  
"Show off" Yumi said joking as she boarded the elevator and folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"To tell you the truth, that was the first time I ever tried something like that. Guess I got lucky." Jin answered back as he took his usual spot in the back of the elevator and leaned against the wall.

* * *

Jeremie stopped tapping his finger once he heard the elevator doors open revealing the two people he wanted to see the most.  
  
"Lucy I'm home!" Jin yelled out in a phony Cuban accent. "You've got some splaining to do!"  
  
Jeremie was well aware of the T.V. show that Jin was quoting.  
  
"Real funny there Ricky Ricardo but your precious wife is down at the club looking for little Ricky. Now once you get your head out of T.V. land you might want to take a look at this."  
  
Yumi saw a series of streets, buildings and a large, blue, holographic rectangle moving through the "streets" at a fast speed.  
  
"Ok Jeremie, what's going on here?" Yumi asked perplexed by the sight before her.  
  
Jeremie pointed at the moving rectangle. "That's the bus Ulrich and the other students are on." He then pointed at an even larger rectangle "And that's where XANA is taking them."  
  
"A giant blue box?" Jin said confused unaware of the true location that the bus was going. "Big whoop and here I was worrying that..."  
  
Jeremie had enough of Jin's sarcasm. "That big blue box is the town's chemical plant!" He yelled out hoping to put Jin in a more serious mood.  
  
"Well that changes everything."  
  
"Ok you two" Jeremie commanded. "Get to the scanners pronto."

* * *

Jin and Yumi both rode the elevator to the scanner room. Yumi mentally prepared herself for the upcoming battle and began to focus her thoughts so that when she entered Lyoko, she would be prepared for anything. It was weird for her, no matter how many times she went into that place, she was always a little bit nervous. However, her nervous couldn't compare to what Jin was feeling as she looked at the back of the elevator. Jin shut his eyes tightly and his breathing was at a rapid pace. If he was going to take the plunge in Lyoko, this was not the proper mind set that he should be in. Yumi walked over to her brother for a MUCH needed pep talk.  
  
"Aniki, what's wrong?" Yumi asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm just a little bit scared sis, I don't even know what Lyoko looks like or the challenges that I'm about to face their."  
  
"Don't worry Aniki, you won't be alone. Aelita will be there waiting for us and of course, I'm be going with you. Once we team up there won't be enough monsters in Lyoko that could take us down! Right Aniki?"  
  
Jin's confidence began to rebuild as he sister's words made him less and less fearful of his upcoming experience. Jin looked up at Yumi and started cracking his knuckles.  
  
"Right Yumi!"  
  
"That's good to hear." Yumi then leaned over and gave Jin a good luck hug which he kindly returned. The elevator door opened and revealed the three scanners in which Jin and Yumi soon approached.  
  
"Let's knock them dead Aniki" Yumi said as she stepped out of the elevator.  
  
Jeremie's voice was soon heard over the factory's speakers.  
  
"Jin, under normal circumstances I would have Yumi give you a quick tutorial on how things work in Lyoko but seeing how we don't have enough time you'll just have to figure it out as you go along."  
  
Jin flashed the thumbs up at the camera in the room. "Don't worry Jeremie, I'm a fast learner. Remember?"  
  
Both Yumi and Jin stepped into their respected scanners so that Jeremie could begin the process.  
  
"Transfer Yumi. Transfer Jin."  
  
Jin felt a weird sensation in his body as the scanner that he was enclosed in started to hum loudly and a bright light shown underneath his feet.  
  
"Scanner Yumi. Scanner Jin."  
  
If Jin thought things were getting strange now then he was in for a BIG surprise. Slowly, he felt his entire body being lifted in the air as was spinning in circles. When he looked at his feet once more he noticed that his shoelaces were untied and stooped low to fix them not wanting to trip over them once he was in Lyoko.  
  
Jeremie saw Jin do this through his computer and was worried about it.  
  
"Jin wait! Don't..." But it was too late. The process was already complete and the characters were already uploaded. Looks like Jin will learn the hard way on what happens if you moved while being scanned.  
  
"Virtualization!"

* * *

Yumi's body appeared first in Lyoko and she arrived without incident. She landed in the desert region and looked to the sky and awaited for the arrival of her brother.  
  
Because Jin was bent over when he was virtualized, his body maintained that position when he was transferred to Lyoko. Instead of falling from a standing position, he was now plummeting to the earth in a belly flop.  
  
"Wow that ground is coming up real quick." Was the last thought Jin had right before he landed on the surface of Lyoko face first.  
  
Still lying on the ground, Jin began to speak to his sister.  
  
"You were right sis, this is already becoming familiar to me. Though I do have to admit that Lyoko dirt taste different than dirt back home."  
  
Aelita reached the area that Jin and Yumi were occupying and walked over to say hello.  
  
"Good to see you Yumi."  
  
"Good to see you too Aelita."  
  
"Hey Aelita how have you been?" Jin asked, still face down in the sand.  
  
"Yumi, your brother is indeed a strange individual." Aelita said quietly after observing his behavior.  
  
"He is indeed"  
  
It was at that moment that Jin finally stood up and began to take in the sights of Lyoko.  
  
"Woah, look at this place! This is wild!"  
  
"You'll get used to it Aniki. You'll be coming her a lot more often than you think."  
  
Jin promptly turned his head towards Yumi and noticed the strange clothing she was wearing.  
  
"Glad to see that you're still in touch with you're Japanese heritage" Jin commented.  
  
Yumi used that time to inspect Jin's outfit also and taken back by his choice in clothing.  
  
"Nice threads, Jin."  
  
Unlike the previous characters before him, Jin's outfit was a very simple but elegant one. He wore a pair of black dress shoes and slacks. A black shirt worn underneath a long-sleeves, white dress shirt decorated his torso. But the most unusual feature of the entire outfit was that Jin was wearing a pair of sunglasses to go along with the whole look.  
  
"So Aniki, what made you chose that outfit for Lyoko."  
  
"Don't underestimate it sis. These clothes allow to move as freely as I like and plus they look pretty cool."  
  
"But why are you wearing sunglasses? Just to make you look cool?"  
  
"Actually that was Jeremie's idea."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"It's true Yumi" Jeremie said over the intercom. "You see, although the holomap that I have in the factory only gives me a rough idea on what's going on in Lyoko. Jin's shades give me a first-person view of all the action so I can better see what's going on."  
  
"Oh you mean as if there was a camera attached to them." Yumi said as she began to understand their function.  
  
"That's exactly it. I'd love to tell you more about Jin's character but we have a tower to deactivate, so get going guys."  
  
"So where are we going Aelita?" Jin asked trying to make sense of everything around him.  
  
"We're going to deactivate that tower on the other side of the desert."  
  
Aelita pointed at a tall glowing tower in the distance that was across a giant sea of sand.  
  
"We should get going now."  
  
Aelita was the first one to depart from the platform that they were standing on and left through the use of a slanted rock. Jin and Yumi followed by sliding on the granite slab and made their way to the tower. The team walked a few more feet until Yumi noticed something strange about Jin...his hands were empty.  
  
"Jin, are you unarmed?!" Yumi asked worried thinking that Jin's weapon was lost in the transfer. "Or do you relay on your fist and feet to take out XANA's monsters?"  
  
"As much as I love martial arts, fighting a group of monsters with my bare hands would not be a wise move. So yes Yumi, I am packing some serious weaponry."  
  
"Then why are your hands empty."  
  
"It would be a hassle for me to carry it around." It was now Jin's turn to notice something strange.  
  
"Hey guys. Did any of you realize that we're getting pretty close to the tower and I have yet to see a single monster?"  
  
"You're right Aniki!" Yumi said as she saw the truth. "It's like he's waiting to ambush us or something.  
  
No sooner did Yumi finish her statement did a giant sandstorm begin to form behind them.  
  
"Let's jet people!" Jin yelled reminiscent of the time when he was being chased by a giant teddy bear.  
  
The group tried to run away from the storm but were soon blinded by its fury. Aelita, Yumi and Jin could barely see what was in front of them. Preparing for the worse, Yumi drew out her fan and was itching for a fight. Jin looked over at his sister's weapon of choice and decided to make a comment.  
  
"Great Yumi, you brought a fan in the middle of the desert. Maybe you could blow all this sand back in the OTHER direction."  
  
"Don't knock the fan just yet. In my hands, this thing is a deadly weapon.  
  
Jeremie watched the holomap and tracked the positions of all the occupants in Lyoko and saw that they were dangerously close to the edge.  
  
"Guys watch your step, if you fall into the abyss then you will be virutalized forever!"  
  
Jin was instantly alarmed by Jeremie's warning.  
  
"Wait did he just say if we fall then we'll be a permanent part of the real estate?!"  
  
"Yes he did Aniki."  
  
"This place gets more dangerous by the minute."  
  
The sandstorm cleared just as quickly as it appeared allowing an eerie calm to beset Lyoko. This was only ploy that XANA used to launch his second attack on the team. Giant fault lines began forming on the desert's surface breaking up the solid land into several individual islands.  
  
"XANA has just laid a trap for us!" Yumi yelled seeing how her group was now on a little piece of land separated from the tower.  
  
"Ok, so how are we gonna get out of this one? Sprout wings and fly?" Jin said not liking the situation one bit.  
  
"We can't do anything, but Aelita can."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Show him."  
  
Aelita got on both of her knees and began to sing a distorted, angelic sounding song. Jin looked behind him and saw land bridge begin to form right before his eyes.  
  
"Wow, that's a REAL useful power!"  
  
"Yep, Aelita her can alter the landscape to whatever she want's but she's loses fifty life points when she does it."  
  
Jin remembered the small lecture Jeremie gave him about the importance of life points in Lyoko.  
  
"Well since she used it, that means we gotta start treating this girl with kid gloves."  
  
Yumi took the lead as the group crossed the land bridge and made their way to the tower once more. She heard a loud rumbling behind her and saw that XANA had unleashed yet another sandstorm behind them but stopped in their tracks once they heard a low rumbling noise that was getting louder by the second.  
  
"Jeremie! Is XANA, releasing another seismic attack the he did before?" Yumi asked while pondering the origin of the noise.  
  
"No Yumi, that's a Mega Tank coming straight for you!"  
  
In no time flat the sandstorm cleared revealing the sliver spherical tank that was chasing them. The three of them stopped near a large rock formation and waited for the tank to make the first move. Sure enough, the tank stopped rolling and revealed its weak point, only to begin charging up for its powerful laser blast.  
  
"This has bad news written all over it." Jin said as he watched the tank power up. "JUMP!"  
  
Jin and Aelita dove to the right while Yumi jumped in the opposite direction. The tank was expecting the group to take evasive action first and at the last possible moment before it fired, it spun on its axis and launched its killer wave that was aimed directly at Yumi.  
  
"YUMI!" Aelita cried out worried about her friend's safety as she struggled to get up. The tank then charged up for another attack and Jin used this time to try to rescue her. Jin got up and began running for all that he was worth to get her out of harms way but saw his path cut off by another horrific orange wave.  
  
"SIS!" Jin cried out as he watched Yumi's body slowly fade away from Lyoko. Upset with his failure to protect his family, Jin pounded his fist into the floor out of anger and stared down the Mega Tank.  
  
"YOU METALLIC ASSHOLE!" Jin screamed, blinded by his rage after just losing his sister to the monster that was standing before him. 'YOU KILLED YUMI YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!"  
  
Jeremie could only phantom what Jin had in store for the tank. He had to bring him back to his senses, if Jin was eliminated now, then Aelita would be all alone, a prime target.  
  
"Jin cool it!"Jeremie said with authority.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN COOL IT! I'M GONNA SEND THIS BASTARD BACK TO THE HOLE HE CAME CRAWLING OUT OF!"  
  
Jin kept telling himself that this was only a virtual program but deep down inside, he was burning with rage. He reached into his left shoulder with his right hand and the right side of his waist with his left hand. His over shirt concealed the objects that he was holding onto. He stared at the Mega Tank with a murderous intent and thus began a stand off between the two enemies.  
  
"Jin, don't be rash here. You're sister is still alive. She's in the factory with me."  
  
Jermie succeed in calming down Jin as he heard him let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"You shouldn't fight the Mega Tank head on, you're too green. Even Ulrich, Odd and Yumi have a hard time taking that thing out. It's one of XANA's strongest monsters. You have to keep your head level here Jin. You're first priority is to take care of Aelita."  
  
Jeremie looked through the video provided by Jin's sunglasses and saw the tanks preparing for its third attack.  
  
"Jin, get Aelita to safety now!"  
  
Jin pulled his arms out of his shirt and narrowly spun out of beam's wave as he grabbed Aelita and took cover behind the rock formation nearby. The wave passed harmlessly by and struck nothing but air  
  
"Welcome to Lyoko." Jin said to himself as he continued to take shelter behind the rock.

* * *

Sissy felt sick ever since Yumi called her. She never realized how much grief she caused Ulrich when her intentions were just the opposite. All she wanted was to have a positive relationship with him and stole his diary just to get his attention. But now she made things worse between the two of them. She wouldn't be surprised if Ulrich would never look her way again after today. She needed to make amends with him.  
  
"Ulrich" She called out trying to get the boy's attention. "Listen, I know what I did was wrong but I just wanted to spend more time with you without being made fun of or insulted. I would just like to say that I'm sorry for what I did and if you never wish to speak to me again...that's ok" At least Sissy thought that if her contact with Ulrich was going to be severed, the she would end in on a semi-positive note.  
  
Ulrich looked at the girl's pleading eyes. Sissy was not faking it this time, she was indeed sorry for her actions.  
  
"I forgive you Sissy." Ulrich said not wanting to be too harsh on the girl.  
  
"Thank you" it only came out as a whisper but it was loud enough for Ulrich to hear as he nodded his head before walking away.

* * *

Odd entered the elevator and lowered himself into the computer room.  
  
"You know Jeremie." Odd said, not bothering to introduce himself. "I've always wanted to jump off of a speeding bus like they do in the movies, but now that I've tried it, I'm gonna let the professionals handle it for now on. That stuff really hurts."  
  
"Odd!" Yumi said more relieved by his entrance than annoyed. "You showed up at just at the right time."  
  
"How are things looking in Lyoko?"  
  
"Bad, real bad. Jin is with Aelita and is pinned down behind a rock by a Mega Tank"  
  
"Well I gotta get going them."  
  
It took Odd no time to locate the scanner room and prepared himself for his departure to Lyoko.  
  
"Transfer Odd"  
  
Odd closed his eyes as Jeremie began the all too delicate process to send him into the virtual world.  
  
"Scanner Odd"  
  
Jeremie uploaded Odd's character into Lyoko and pressed the return key.  
  
"Virtualization!"

* * *

Various cables were exposed on the floor as Jim and James were tying to cut the bus's power off. Armed with a pair of wire cutters, Jim wasted no time in cutting a long gray cord.  
  
"HA! Man beats machine!" Jim said striking a heroic pose. However, James knew better.  
  
"You fool, that wasn't the power cord! That was the wire for the door! Now we're stuck in here."  
  
Ulrich thought that now was the best time to tell the two adults on the bus about their current situation.  
  
"Look you two, we have find a way out of here or else this bus is going to crash into the chemical plant!"  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Jim asked, now curious of how Ulrich acquired his information.  
  
"Jeremie told me"  
  
"Well then how does Jeremie know?"  
  
Not in the mood for a Q&A session, Ulrich shifted the conversation to a more pressing matter.  
  
"That doesn't matter right now Jim. We have to find a way to get off this bus!"  
  
Ulrich dialed Jeremie's cell phone to get an update on what's been happening in Lyoko.  
  
"Jeremie, how much time do we have till the bus reaches the plant?"  
  
"Ten minutes!"  
  
"And how are things looking in Lyoko."  
  
"I've just sent Odd down there to help Jin and Aelita out. Both of them have one-hundred life points."  
  
"And Yumi?"  
  
"She was the first to be devertulize after meeting the business of a Mega Tank."  
  
"Ulrich!" He heard a female voice called out his name and saw that it was Sissy.  
  
"Is there anyway I can help you guys out?"  
  
Ulrich tossed Sissy his cell phone which she caught easily.  
  
"I'm going to help Jim and the bus driver get this thing to stop. In the meantime your going to serve as the relay between us and Jeremie."  
  
"Ok I will"  
  
Sissy held up the cell phone to her ear and walked to the middle of the bus to get the student's attention.  
  
"Ok listen up everyone!" She yelled in order to take charge. "I'm in contact with Jeremie. He knows where this bus is going right now. So everybody stay calm and listen to my directions and maybe we'll see this thing trough in one piece!"  
  
Ulrich watched Sissy effortlessly command the student's as she exhibited her leadership skills.  
  
"Now that's more like it Sissy."

* * *

Odd hit the virtual ground running and began making his way to the rock that Jeremie indicated that Jin and Yumi were behind. Odd leapt from island to island making sure that every jump he made was percise and would not send him tumbling into the virtual abyss below. He ran across the land bridge that Aelita made and spotted the rock nearby.  
  
"Hey Jeremie, I thought you said that they were being pinned down by a Mega Tank?"  
  
"I did." Jeremie looked at his holomap to confirm his statement but saw that the area was void of enemies. "Hmm...looks like it must have ran off somewhere. No matter, just meet up with Jin and Aelita so you guys can deactivate the tower.Jin stood behind the rock along with Aelita not knowing if the Mega Tank was still out there. Suddenly Jin heard some footsteps nearby.  
  
"Great, XANA has just sent some more reenforcements! Stay back Aelita, I'll take care of this!"  
  
Aelita heard the footsteps too but noticed something different about them. They didn't produce the same mechanical hum like a normal crab and block would. These footsteps sound almost...HUMAN! Aelita knew that the person approaching was not an enemy but just the opposite, an ally, an ally that Jin was about to attack mistakenly.  
  
"Jin wait!" But it was too late, Jin had already turned around from his hiding spot to attack the purple enemy running towards him."KIYA!"  
  
Odd saw a medium sized foot shoot straight at his face but fortunately for him, his cat-like reflexes took over and allowed him to step back and dodge the kick. Jin stood in the middle of the desert in mid side kick with his leg still extended not knowing how close he was in striking his friend.  
  
"Yo watch it Bruce Lee! I'm on your side!"  
  
Jin recognized the voice when he first heard it.  
  
"Odd?"  
  
"The one and only. You know Jin, most people just say hello when they see each other. Kicking someone in the head is not an appropriate greeting."  
  
"Sorry about that Odd, ever since my sister got devirtualized, I've been on edge lately."  
  
"I can see that, you almost took my head off with that kick."  
  
Odd took a quick glace at Jin's character.  
  
"So this is what I've been waiting for huh? You've taking some fashion tips from Dirk I can see that."  
  
"Hey, don't even put me in the same category as that low-life."  
  
"Ok geez, it's just that I was expecting a little more from you." Odd said slightly disappointed.  
  
"Don't worry you'll get to see my REAL combat abilities once we start fighting. Speaking of real combat Odd." Jin asked confused by his surroundings. "By any chance have you seen a Mega Tank around here? I could have sworn that there was one shooting at us."  
  
Odd spotted a giant fault line forming behind Jin as he was asking his question.  
  
"No but I see that something really bad is going to happen to Aelita if we don't move it!"  
  
Jin quickly made a one-hundred and eighty degree and saw Aelita lose her balance and the Earth beneath her began to split apart. Both Odd and Jin reacted in time as they each grabbed one of her arms and pulled her to safety.  
  
"Good work Odd!" Jeremie congratulated him for saving Aelita's life.  
  
"Don't worry Jeremie, your princess is unharmed. We'll keep her safe for you."  
  
Before Jeremie could defend himself from Odd's cheep shot, he picked up another sandstorm forming in Lyoko.  
  
"Guys you better watch out..."  
  
"We know, we know Einstein a sandstorm is coming. We can see that." Odd said watching the sand begin to kick up again in the desert.  
  
"Man is XANA a one-trick pony ?! He's already did this bit twice already!" Jin cried out is disbelief.

* * *

"Ok talk to me Jeremie" Sissy said, speaking into Ulrich's cell phone.  
  
"The bus is about to make a left turn."  
  
"Ulrich! Jeremie said that the bus will make a left turn!"  
  
Ulrich rememberd a lecture about centrifical force that Mrs. Hertz gave him a few days ago. Knowing that the bus's weight will actually shift to the right, he hopped over a few students that were huddled over in fear and pressed his body against the bus's right window.  
  
"Ok everyone get to the right side of the bus NOW!" Ulrich commanded the occupants.  
  
The students wasted no time in following Ulrich's directions to avoid any further injury. Jim ran to the back of the bus and picked up Mike's still unconscious body and slung it over his shoulder before bracing himself for the upcoming turn. Just as Jeremie predicated, the bus veered left pressing it's occupants to the side of the wall. It soon ended its turn and allowed the people inside to re-group.  
  
Ulrich grabbed his cell phone from Sissy so he could speak to Jeremie.  
  
"Ok Jer. how much time do we have left now?"  
  
"Two minutes but don't panic Ulrich. Jin and Odd are almost at the tower."  
  
Ulrich handed the phone back to Sissy before patting her on the shoulder.  
  
"You're doing a great job here. Keep it up."  
  
Sissy gave Ulrich a confident look and placed the receiver to her ear.  
  
"Ok Jeremie, what do I do now?"

* * *

Odd and Jin had abandoned all plans that involved them fighting the Mega Tank and instead decided to make a tactical retreat. Jin saw a large gray cylinder nearby that had a red aura around it.  
  
"Hey Odd, is that the tower?" Jin asked as he watched him drag Aelita behind him so she would be able to keep up.  
  
"Why yes it is but do you see a problem here Jin?"  
  
Jin looked at the area between the tower and the island that they were running on and saw a giant ravine.  
  
"Yep, nothing but air over there. Looks like we're going to have to jump!"  
  
Aelita was horrified by Jin's suggestion.  
  
"Odd, I don't think I can leap that far."  
  
"Don't worry princess, I'll help you get across but you're gonna have to hold on to me tightly until I tell you to let go" he said in a reassuring tone of voice.  
  
Jin could see what Odd had in store for Aelita and was a little concerned.  
  
"Odd, you're not going to..."  
  
"Do I have a choice?"  
  
Seeing no other solution, Jin had no choice but to follow.  
  
"Ok then, I'll go ahead. How good is your aim Odd?"  
  
"Better than you think."  
  
"Well then show me."  
  
Jin sprinted ahead and jumped as far as he could. He flipped forward in the air twice before sticking his landing on the other side.  
  
"Ok Odd, do your stuff!" He yelled from across the ravine.  
  
Odd grabbed both of Aelita's hands and began to spin in circles like an Olympian performing the hammer toss. Odd's momentum began to build as he turned faster and faster watching Aelita rise into the air.  
  
"NOW!" Odd yelled after his final spin telling Aelita to let go. With one last heave, Odd sent Aelita soaring over the gap and watched Jin catch her and set her on the ground gently before jumping over to the other side himself. The Mega Tank, unable to control its rolling in the sandstorm simply rolled off the cliff.  
  
"BAM! How you like them apples?!" Jin taunted the defeated tank from the top of the cliff. He watched Aelita run past him and disappear into the tower and sat down of the floor for a well deserved rest.  
  
"So Odd, what do we do now?"  
  
"We wait and hope for the best."

* * *

Ulrich could see the chemical plant just outside his window. It would only be a matter of time before the bus would arrive there.  
  
"EVERYONE TO THE LEFT!" Sissy yelled causing all the passengers to move to the left side once again. The turn quickly ended and that's when Jim took action.  
  
"That's it! The only way we're getting out of here is if we jump out the window!" He said to James who was standing beside him.  
  
"Jim if you jump out of the bus at this speed you might die!"  
  
"Well jumping off the bus where I MIGHT die sounds a whole lot better than staying on the bus where I WILL die. We have to get these kids out of here! This maybe our last chance."  
  
Jim struggled to get the window to the bus open but it just wouldn't budge.  
  
"Great, when I cut the cord that operated the door, it must have been the same cord that controls the windows! We'll never get this thing open now."  
  
"Then we'll just have to find our own way in opening it then" said a mysterious voice that was behind Jim.  
  
Jim turned around to see which student said that and was surprised to see who it was.  
  
"DIRK?!"  
  
"Yes, it's me, control yourselves." Despite being faced with certain death, Dirk was still just as calm and cold as he always was.  
  
"Why are you here?" Jim asked confused by the boy's sudden entrance.  
  
"I'm here to get that window open so you and the rest of the students can get off this death machine. I'm no hero but then again I don't want this bus to be the cause of my early demise."  
  
"I'm speechless." Jim said not knowing what to say at Dirk's "kind" gesture.  
  
"Save it Jim and give me room." Dirk waited for all the students surrounding him to back away so he wouldn't hit anybody.  
  
"KEEP CLEAR!"  
  
Dirk spun clockwise and threw and spinning roundhouse kick at the window striking it with his right heel. He left a gigantic crack in it but the window pane did not break.  
  
"The window is still there Dirk." Jim said stating the obvious.  
  
"That was just the warm up shot." Dirk assumed his fighting stance once more and prepared the deliver the coup de grace to the sheet of thick glass.  
  
"EVERYONE, KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN. THIS MAY GET UGLY!"  
  
Dirk took a few steps back and ran at the widow to pick up speed. He then jumped in the air and grabbed onto the ledge provided by the overhead compartment and suspended himself in the air. Using the speed he generated, Dirk swung forward and dropkicked the window with both of his feet right in the center of the crack he created before. The piece of glass then shattered into a million pieces allowing free access to the outside.  
  
"Maybe this bus wasn't as good as I thought it was" Jim said to himself as he saw how easily Dirk destroyed the window.  
  
Jim looked out the gapping hole that Dirk created and saw how fast the street really was moving and lost all his nerve to jump.  
  
"Never mind children we're gonna have to stay inside the bus!" Jim was still frighted and leaned a little too far forward causing his upper body to slip over the banister.  
  
"JIM" The students inside screamed. James, Sissy and Dirk were the first to grab onto Jim's dangling legs to try to pull him back into the bus but they were losing the tug of war and were in danger of falling outside too.  
  
Dirk rested his feet against the wall and looked at the back of the bus.  
  
"CLAYTON, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! GET OVER HERE NOW OR ELSE THE FOUR OF US ARE GONNA DIE!"  
  
Clayton rushed to his friend's aid and grabbed Jim's left leg. The four individuals then pulled Jim back inside the bus. James walked over to Jim and had a slight smile on his face.  
  
"I'd hate to say that I told you so but I told you so."  
  
Sissy pointed to the front of the bus and screamed.  
  
"This is it guys, we're in the chemical plant!"

Aelita entered the tower and brought up a familiar looking computer screen.  
  
AELITA

* * *

"This is it!" Ulrich screamed.  
  
"Why did I become a bus driver in the first place. My mother always said I should be a lawyer but NOOOOO I just HAD to be a bus driver and look where its landed me now!" James yelled to himself.

* * *

CODE

* * *

The other students inside said their last words and professed any secrets they would wish to get off all their chest to before they pass on but only one student in the entire bus remained perfectly still and almost looked like he didn't care that he was going to die.  
  
"Dirk, you don't care about dying?" Clayton asked his stone-faced friend.  
  
"Do you think that this is my punishment for the way I lived my life?"  
  
"It could be?"  
  
"Well then...this is fate that I shall justly receieve."  
  
Clayton just stood there silently and watch the bus draw ever closer to crashing.  
  
"Besides, it's like what they say. It's better to burn out than to fade away."

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

The bus stopped within inches from colliding with a giant vat of toxic chemicals and allowed Ulrich to take in a deep breath.  
  
"Return to the past now!" Jeremie yelled as he hit the return key on his keyboard.

* * *

Yumi ran down the pathway clutching a green notebook close to her chest. Her footsteps immediately caught Ulrich's attention as he turned around to see what was causing all the commotion.  
  
"Yumi?" Ulrich was pleasantly surprised by the girl's presence.  
  
Yumi was still a little uneasy about what she was doing. She had rehearsed the scene several times in her head and vowed that she would treat this in a clam, collected manner.  
  
Her vow was broken in 4.5 seconds flat.  
  
She just decided to just get it over with to prevent any future embarrassment.  
  
"Here you go" she said quickly not looking Ulrich in the eye.  
  
"My diary! Thanks Yumi!"  
  
"Don't worry, I didn't read it incase you were wondering."  
  
"Maybe I'll share them with you sometime in the near future."  
  
Yumi blushed after hearing Ulrich's suggestion and couldn't think straight. "That..that would be nice."  
  
"Look I gotta go."  
  
Ulrich left to go to his room but stopped to turn around to face Yumi one more time. As he stared deeply into her eyes he was about to say something to her. He opened his lips to tell her something but ran back to his room.  
  
Maybe he wasn't quite read to share ALL of his secrets with her. Not yet.  
  
Yumi was still thinking about the moment when their eyes met and was too preoccupied to notice that Jin had snuck up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"That was a good thing you did sis."  
  
"ANIKI?! Were you watching?!"  
  
"I saw enough of it."  
  
"Well it's not what you think" Yumi stammered in an effort to defend herself but only succeeded in making herself more guilty.  
  
"Listen Yumi, this is not my battlefield. This is your choice and your choice alone because in the end, you'll be living with the consequences, good or bad but I will tell you this."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He is a good person for you. Just try not to rush things until you absolutely know that your ready for a long term relationship."  
  
Jin walked away leaving his sister alone to think about the advice he just gave her.

* * *

Sissy leaned against the wall near Ulrich's door with a smug look on her face. Today was going to be the happiest day in her life for she will share it with the person that she desire's the most and there was no way her plan could fail. She took special care to make sure no one saw where she hid his diary.  
  
"Sissy, good to see you here." Ulrich greeted her with a smile.  
  
Sissy looked down and saw the green notebook that he held in his arms. The sight totally disgusted her and she stomped to her room in defeat. Ulrich watched Sissy leave before entering his room proudly showing his diary to Odd and Jeremie.  
  
"ALRIGHT!" The two boys celebrated. Another crisis averted.  
  
END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking**  
  
Well if there was an artist reading this fic, there are a few scenes in my series that I would like for them to draw since they all are, in my opinon very memorable. If you have your own ideas, feel free to share them with me. Yeah I know most of the do involve Jin, Dirk and Clayton. That's because these are all original scenes. You guys already know the episodes to death. Note: I do have an official "description" of Dirk and Clayton that I have failed to mention in my fic. If you want to know what they look like "officially" then ask. If not, just use your imaginations I'm intrested on how you guys picture the two bullies of Kadic Junior High.  
  
Code Lyoko: A Retelling (The Pictures)  
  
Visit my website in my profile for the complete list of scenes that I wish to be drawn.

* * *

**Outtaks**  
  
"Dirk, why did you call me up here?!" Ulrich asked wondering why Dirk summoned him to come to the balcony  
  
"No use getting violent...yet. Let me ask you something."  
  
The suspense shared between the two of them was unbearable and Dirk was the first to crack.  
  
"Do these shoes make me look fat?"  
  
Ulrich and Clayton fainted at the stupidity of Dirk's question.  
  
Rejected Lyoko Personas for Jin (in no particular order)

1. Darkwing Duck  
2. Michael Jackson (he would be able to make all the monsters on Lyoko dance)  
3. Mr. Rogers  
4. Batman  
5. Bicycle Repair Man  
6. A Mime  
7. Robin Hood  
8. Freakazoid  
9. The Green Ranger (With Dragonzord and all)  
10. Barney the Dinosaur

* * *

Sissy was currently speaking to Jeremie so she could inform the students where the bus was going.  
  
"Ok Sissy it's going to make a left turn so everyone should move to the right."  
  
Sissy nodded on the other side of the line and raised her hand to command all the passengers.  
  
"EVERYONE, TO THE LEFT!"  
  
The students got on the right side of the bus and were slammed on the opposite wall when the bus veered to the left.  
  
"Sissy I said right!"  
  
"Oops, sorry Jeremie. I always get my left confused with my right."  
  
Ulrich hung his head in shame.  
  
"Why did I choose that girl? WHY?!"

* * *

"DIRK?!" Jim said surprised by the boys sudden entrance.  
  
"Yes, it's me, control yourselves." Despite being faced with certain death, Dirk was still just as calm and cold as he always was.  
  
"Why are you here?" Jim asked confused by the boy's sudden entrance.  
  
"I'm here to get that window open so you and the rest of the students can get off this bus. I'm no hero but then again I don't want this bus to be the cause of my early demise. Now back away everyone!"  
  
Dirk rubbed his hands together and assumed his fighting stance.  
  
"Open now, please!"  
  
The window did not budge.  
  
"Well I'm out of ideas."  
  
Jim slapped his forehead.  
  
"We're all gonna die"

* * *

"Don't worry Ulrich. I didn't read your diary."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Psyche! Ah man I got so much dirt on you!"  
  
"Why do I get all the psycho chicks?!" Ulrich thought to himself.

* * *

**Words on the Chapter**  
  
Well first off, if there are any readers who are still wondering about Jin's appearance, just remember I have his picture on my computer ready to share. I'm just a little surprised to see that no one has asked me for it yet. You guys must have healthy imaginations or something. In case you were wondering, I don't own ANY episdoes of Code Lyoko and I am writing all of these chapters by memory. So if I get somethings wrong, that's my memory going haywire.  
  
Ok please don't flame me if your going to talk about how Jin looks like Serpah from the Matrix because I did not base that design off of him. The two outfits just came out looking similar. Believe me when I say this, I did not intentionally set out to copy that look. Now one of the real reasons why I chose that to be Jin's outfit was because it was easy to describe and picture in your minds. The outfits used in Lyoko are very hard to describe in a fanfic and if I were to give Jin a "real" Lyoko outfit, then I would have to spend an entire paragraph describing it and I know you guys don't want that. Finally concerning Jin's character. I know I'm pulling at your heart strings so you could see Jin kick some XANA behind but Logbook was not a good episode for Jin to make his debut but I couldn't find a good way for Jin to skip out on this trip to Lyoko so you'll have to wait for the next chapter.  
  
Ok I just got a review from Trake that I would like to respond to and he raises an important issue. He was a little disappointed that I didn't give Odd a good action scene like the others in my series but he was especially referring to Episode 1.5 "Deja Vu's Recruit and I would like to explain myself for this decesion.  
  
Many of Odd's best action scenes take place in Lyoko. I swear that guy gets virtualized so many times, so its really hard for me to give him scenes outside of it when he's in Lyoko when all the trouble is happening. Plus in the series, Odd is not the target of that many XANA attacks, nor is he that gung ho in rushing off to a battle in the real world. Next, I only wanted Dirk to be able to hire two students to attack the heroes because if I gave him more, then he would look like the Godfather of Kadic Junior high. He has connections, but they don't run THAT deep. Now the reason why Odd didn't get to fight in that episode was that first, Dirk knew Odd could fight so he wouldn't waste his surprise attack on him. If you were Dirk and you wanted to do some REAL damage, you would attack the weakest member of the group which would be Jeremie. Now the reason why Odd didn't contribute to the fight was because his friends finished off their opponents in maybe one or two moves so that the fight was over before it began. Now to all you Odd fans out there who are disappointed with his portrayal here I would like to apologize and I would like to say that I don't hate Odd's character. I am trying to look for ways to give Odd his moment to shine so don't worry.  
  
See people I actually do read your reviews, you're input matters to me.  
  
Finally, like the outtakes? I've notice that you people loved them so now I'll include them at the end of every chapter. Ask and you shall receive, that is if I can provide it for you. Once again thanks for reading and I'll be working hard on the next chapter.


	7. Episode 5: Big Bug

**Special Thanks:**

Looks like I got out of writing Logbook A-OK huh? Well thank you for still reading my fic. It's already 80,000 words. Sheesh that's crazy.

**Disclaimer**

To Antefilms: Don't sue, got no cash and you really wouldn't make much money off of me. (Geez I wonder how those folks back there would feel if I sent them my work?)

Man I REALLY Need a prereader...any takers?

* * *

Episode 5: Big Bug

Milly leaned against the one of the many trees on the Kadic Junior High campus and faced the front entrance of her school. For once in a long time, her and her best friend Tamiya were actually having a conversation that didn't involve the words, "late breaking news" or "special bulletin" or with Tamiya with a camera in her hand. Today was a carefree day for the two girls, since they didn't have to worry about their reporting duties all becasue Jim accidently damaged the computer used for editing when he tripped over its extension cord. Surprisingly, the computer wasn't damaged that badly but it was still wreaked enough for it to warrant the need of repair. Milly was listening to an interesting story that Tamiya was telling her about her mother and an incident that happened to them while they were at the mall.

"So I come out of the changing room and my mother is all like "you can't wear that, it shows your belly button", and I say to her, it's the latest fashion mom and it's not that bad."

Milly giggled at Tamiya's story finding it quiet entertaining.

"I so know what you mean Tamiya. One time, I told my mother what I was going to wear for our prom this year. Next thing you know, she goes crazy and says "you're much to young to be wearing cloths like that." Our mothers are strange people huh Tamiya?"

The two friends shared a moment of laughter together. Today was going to be a carefree day for the both of them indeed.

* * *

Odd and Ulrich leaned against the gate of their school and waited for Yumi and Jin to show up so they could all walk to class together.

"So Ulrich" Odd spoke to his friend trying to start up a conversation to kill time. "What challenges do you think today has in store for the both of us?"

"Well I'm not sure, I'm not too worried since I can handle a lot of situations on my own but there is only one challenge that, I think, would even make XANA wince if he had to face it."

"You mean..."

"Yep Sissy."

Now it was Odd and Ulrich's turn to laugh today which caught a curious stare from the girl that they were waiting for.

"What's so funny?" Yumi asked as she drew closer to the campus step by step.

"It's nothing, just talking about how Sisssy would be able to defeat XANA if the two would ever meet." Odd said picturing the fight in his head.

"That's a very "interesting" thought Odd." Yumi said a little uneasy on how "healthy" the boy's imagination were.

Ulrich found something strange that was occurring in their current discussion. It seamed so......so...quiet. He looked to Yumi's side and found his answer, there was no one standing next to her.

"Hey Yumi, where's your brother?" Ulrich asked curious about Jin's whereabouts.

"He left home WAY earlier than me. He said he wanted to explore the campus early in the morning."

"Going to school earlier than one should. Man Jin is defiantly one in a million...and a strange one to boot."

"Well let's just go inside now" Yumi said wanting a change of scenery. "Maybe then we'll run into Jin sooner or later."

* * *

Milly and Tamiya had their fill of stories about their protective mothers and the topic of the conversation was getting duller by the minute so they decided to change it to a more exiting one. A topic that most girls their age would eagerly participate in....

To put it bluntly, they were talking about boys.

The candidates were endless. Any boy from any movie, tv show and magazine that they could think of was put under their magnifying glass of scrutiny to see if they were really "hot" or were they just part of a passing craze. It was that moment, Milly decided to bring the conversation a little closer to home.

She started talking about boys at their school.

"So, who are our potential candidates?" Tamiya asked. They weren't really focusing on boys they liked right now, but more on boys they know.

Milly had a mischievous grin on her face. "Dirk and Clayton" she wanted to start the round of discussion with a gag suggestion.

"Clayton's big and that's it. Dirk, if he wasn't so mean I think he would be more popular around here. He's always so cool and rarely loses his temper and I think that's really awesome! Not too mention that brooding look he carries around. Do you know that there are some girls who actually find that attractive?" Tamiya finished her anaylsis on Dirk and Clayton and wanted to move on. "So who's next?"

Milly thought to herself and decided to analyze Yumi's group of friends, "Jeremie"

"He's seems pretty sweet but he spends all his time on his computer."

"Yeah, it's like his girlfriend was inside of it or something."

If only Milly knew how absolutely right she was.

"Next person Milly" Tamiya said enjoying this discussion.

"Odd"

"He's such a goof ball and he's really funny. He has a great sense of humor but not my type."

"Jin"

Now Tamiya had to think over that one. Jin was a very interesting person to analyze. "That's a tough one Milly, I'm really going to have to think this through."

"What do you mean?"

"Well his personalities conflict with one another."

"I'm not following you Tamiya" Milly said scratching her head.

"Well you know how he acts all goofy and childish sometimes?"

"Yeah"

"Think back to the first day he showed up and when he single-handedly trashed Dirk and Clayton."

Milly thought back to that day. She was reporting on the building on prom and saw the whole thing first hand.

"I remember, Jin didn't even flinch when Clayton tried to punch his head off. That guy has the potential to have such a mean streak, yet he acts so gentle and caring around others."

"Yep, he's a tough specimen to look over." Tamiya had enough of talking about Jin's personality traits and wanted to find another subject. "Ok Milly, who do we have left?"

"Well the only one that remains is Ulrich."

The slight mention of his name both made the girls dreamy eyed as they stared at the sky and pictured the boy's face in the clouds.

* * *

Nicholas stood at the group's normal meeting place and awaited for the other's arrival. It was common practice for him, waiting in the middle of campus for Sissy and Herb to arrive but he always wondered why he was still friends with those two. He had every reason to leave the group, both Sissy and Herb would call him stupid on a constant basis and he never really did contribute to all of the schemes that Sissy was planning but there was one thing that prevented him from doing so. Nicholas knew that deep down inside, both Sissy and Herb cared for him, they just had a hard time expressing it. Nicholas remembered the time during the band tryouts when Sissy defended his drumming abilities from the likes of Dirk and Clayton. Not to mention that Herb was the first one standing to give him a hardy applause performance after his performance. There were other moments where the exhibited kindness towards him, like when Herb stayed in his room during the late hours of the night to help him prepare his physics test for Mrs. Hertz or when Sissy helped carry him to the infirmary because he injured his leg while playing tennis a few weeks ago. These moments didn't come as often as he would like them to and only made up a small amount in the total experiences he had with them. Although ninety-  
nine percent of the time he had with them was not as enjoyable, but it was that last one percent that made things all worth while.

"Hey Nicholas, have you seen Sissy?" Herb asked, finally arriving at the meeting place.

"Nope, I've just been standing here all day."

Soon enough Sissy did join her two friends but was obviously angry at something.

"Say Sissy what's eating you?" Herb asked confused on why she would be so angry at such an early hour.

"I've just walked by Milly and Tamiya and they were talking about Ulrich again. I thought I taught those two their lesson at prom. Looks like I'm going to have to give them a refresher course. Let's go you two."

* * *

Ulrich's timing couldn't have been any better for the two girls. Right when he was the subject of their discussion, he decided to reveal himself along with Odd, Yumi and Jeremie.

"There he is Tamiya." Milly said excited the boy's entrance.

"Oh, how can one man be so handsome?" Tamiya asked equally as overjoyed as her friend.

Sissy chose this moment to crash their little party.

"Aren't you two a little too young to be swooning over boys?"

Milly had some unfinished business with the girl ever since the prom incident. Least she got the last laugh when Ulrich asked her to the dance instead of Yumi.

"What's the matter with you Sissy? Just because you're older than us does not give you the authority to start bossing us around and making judgements!"

"It's not my fault that you failed to listen to my advice last time for I see that you have reverted back to your old, ignorant ways. Face it, both of you girls are a little too wet behind the ears to be thinking about boys. And look, you got a spot of milk underneath your cheek from your bottle."

Tamiya began wiping her face with her sleeve worried that there was a spot of food on it.

"Hey look Sissy she fell for it. She's so gullible." Nicholas laughed at Tamiya's misfortune.

"Shut it Nicholas! I swear, you two boys should be defending these girls. The two of you have no class what so ever."

Nicholas quickly kept his mouth shut. Looks like today was going to fall under the ninety-nine percent of his experiences with Sissy. He watched Sissy throw her hair over her shoulders amd waited for Ulrich to arrive.

"Now watch you two rookies as I demonstrate the powers that I possess that help me get any boy I want" She said to the girls before turning towards Ulrich. "Hello Ulrich" Sissy said in her sweetest tone of voice. "So when are you going to stop ignoring me and start telling me your true feelings?"

Ulrich found Sissy's question rather funny, although it wasn't her intention for it to be. "You got it all wrong Sissy, I'm not ignoring you."

Sissy saw a faint glimmer of hope in what Ulrich just said.

"Really?"

To bad that glimmer of hope was VERY short-lived.

"Yep, I'm just allergic to anyone who's arrogant and conceded and it that category you win hands down."

Now it was Sissy's turn to be ridiculed as all the other people listening, including Nicholas and Herb were laughing at the joke Ulrich just told. She could hear seven distinct patterns of laughter. She then heard another voice boom not too far off in the distance.

Ok scratch that, there were now eight distinct patterns of laughter, but who was the extra person. Sissy looked around the circle, currently with her were Ulrich, Odd, Yumi, Herb, Nicholas, Milly and Tamiya. With herself included there were only SEVEN people present, but she could hear EIGHT voices. Before she knew it, Sissy's answer came to her face to face.

"Man Sissy, Ulrich told you REAL bad." Jin said to the confused girl.

"WHAT THE?!" Sissy yelled out in astonishment. If here eyes weren't playing tricks on her, then she was talking to Jin who, at the moment, was _upside-down_?! This was no illusion she later realized. Jin was suspended on a low tree branch and was using his legs to hold himself up.

"What are you doing up there Jin?!" Sissy asked still dumbfounded by the sight.

"Hanging around" Jin looked at his present condition before tacking on another statement. "No pun intended, sorry."

"What are you supposed to be today Jin? A single-sleeve wearing bat?" Sissy shot back to try to stay on the offensive in the insult war.

"If I'm a single-sleeve wearing bat, then you're a peppy, pink, pompous, premadonna" Jin countered, still upside-down.

"Nice alliteration." Odd commented after hearing Jin's retort.

"Thanks"

Now it was Odd's turn to join in on the Sissy bashing that Ulrich and Jin started. He walked over to Milly and Tamiya and began to talk to them.

"I guess Sissy has been telling you on how she could get any boy she wishes, and she's right. Just look at the two nobody's that always hang around her."

Now Nicholas was angry. He let out a slight growl and stepped forward and was eagerly waiting to get his shot in at Odd. Before a rumble could erupt between the two student's Sissy raised her arm and held Nichoals back.

"Wow Sissy, you should be a dog trainer." Ulrich said after seeing how easily she was able to control Nicholas.

"You're correct Ulrich, she was able to keep him under wraps with out using the choke train. Now that takes skills." Jin joked which prompted another roar of laughter from the group.

Sissy couldn't take the ridicule any longer. She had to say something to salvage whatever dignity she had left.

"Go ahead a laugh all you want Ulrich but I know you feel differently. I see the way you look at me when your not with your precious group of friends!"

Jin immediately stopped laughing once he heard Sissy say those words and had a shocked expression on his face as he slowly lost touch with what was going on. Not only did Jin lose the offensive in the insult war that was going on, he also lost his balance as his legs began to lose their grip on the branch they were hanging on.

CRASH!

Jin landed on the back of his head as the rest of his body slowly crumpled back down into a laying position. Fortunately for him, the branch he was resting on was rather low to the ground so he was uninjured from his fall.

"Humph, serves him right for making fun of me." Sissy said, showing little remorse to the boy that was in front of her. "If you ask me, this was all the result of karma. You get what you deserve."

Jin stood up and rubbed the back of his head and rolled his neck to get the crick out of it. He looked at the ground and confessed a secret to the group. "Actually guys, that is true. When Ulrich is alone, he does look at Sissy differently. I saw it with my own eyes" He said solemnly admitting defeat to the girl."

"He does?" Odd said confused.

"He does?!" Yumi yelled out.

"He does?" Sissy asked not really focusing on what she was saying. She had no idea that her lie held some truth in it. "Uh I mean...of course he does!" She yelled in triumph to cover up the fact that she was just as confused as Odd and Yumi. "Well Jin, seeing how you were the only one truthful enough to admit that to everyone, maybe you should show the rest of your friends the face Ulrich has when he see's me alone."

"Ok" Jin said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "Well guys, he looks at Sissy like THIS!"

Jin molded his face to match the expression one would wear if they had to eat live earth worms that were swimming in garbage juice for about two months. Jin had once again used his powers of acting to trick Sissy and once again make her look like the fool in the end. Sissy stomped away from the others with Nicholas and Herb tailing her closely behind.

"Oh man Jin, you almost had me going. For a minute there I actually thought she was telling the truth." Odd said patting him on the back.

"Sissy is one "interesting" individual to say the least."

"Yeah, what's her problem?" Ulrich added.

Despite the disgust he just exhibited towards Sissy, Yumi couldn't help but feel a little worried that Sissy was slowly winning Ulrich's affection little by little.

Odd smacked himself in the forehead once he realized that he made a critical error that day.

"Aw man I forgot to feed Kiwi! I better do that now, you guys wanna come watch?"

Yumi shook her head. "Sorry Odd, I promised Jeremie that I would meet him in his room today."

"How about you Jin?"

Jin thought out his answer before opening his mouth. "As much as I would like to watch a dog eat processed food, I think my time will be better spent in Jeremie's room."

* * *

It was a rare occasion for Jeremie indeed. For once he was actually on his computer and NOT connected to Aelita. Jeremie was taking care of some very crucial business in their fight against XANA and he knew that if had Aelita watching over his work, he would not get anything done for he will spend a majority of his time talking to her. However, if Aelita wasn't going to disturb his work, then there would have to be somebody who would take her place.

"And now Yumi, for one-million dollars and A BRAND NEW CAR!" Jeremie heard a voice slightly muffled by the door but still very audible. "What activity is Jeremie working on?"

And that somebody was Jin Ishiyama.

Yumi decided to play around with Jin's game for kicks. Currently he impersonating a game show host and she figured out that she was supposed to be the contestant.

"I don't know Jin. Is the answer talking to Aelita?"

"Well let's she if she's right. Yumi, please open DOOR NUMBER ONE!"

Yumi opened the door and saw Jeremie typing furiously on his computer but there was no Aelita in sight.

Jin continued using his game show host voice. "I am so sorry Yumi. If you only said typing on the computer then you would have won the grand prize but we have some lovely parting gifts for you."

"Sorry Yumi" Jeremie apologized. "On normal circumstances that would have been the correct answer but not today. Today, I'm working on a program that would prove very useful to us."

Jin finally ended his game and began to speak normally. "Ehh, how useful? Does the program go back in Lyoko for us and kill all the monsters that are around the tower giving us a REAL easy time when we get there?" Jin asked using a common practice called "wishful thinking".

Nope, I may be good at computers, but I can't work miracles."

"So what does the program do?" Yumi asked straight faced.

"Well I'm uploading to all the major websites out there now. It's basically a warning program that rates all unnatural disasters on a scale of one to ten. Whenever a disaster ranks higher than a five then the programs informs me of it. It's the best way for us to spot a potential XANA attack."

"Now that's something" Jin said throughly impressed. "Who knows where would we be without this program. We could spend all our time in Lyoko, work our tail feathers to the bone only to find out it was just some guy's toaster oven that was jammed shut instead of a XANA trying to destroy the world."

Jin's last comment seemed a little "off" to him. "Jin, what on Earth are you saying?"

"I have no idea." Jin said shrugging his shoulders.

"Yumi, is he really your brother?"

"I have no idea" Yumi said copying Jin's pose, in every minute detail.

* * *

XANA's little "stay" inside the bus's electronic computer gave him another genius idea for his next attack. He was able to cause so much trouble by just controlling a simple bus. Now imagine the complete pandemonium that would result if he did that on a nationwide basis however, there were a few snags to the scheme that needed to be ironed out. For one, it was physically impossible for him to gain control of every plane, train and automobile in the nation but then again, if he couldn't possess them directly, maybe he can cause grief to them in another way. Those vehicles all need to be regulated through the use of stop lights and there were even some trains that rely on the use of computers to control their speed and when they stop. Now this was a plan, and he had perfect access to all the tools he needed. All those big fancy computers had to be plugged into some sort of power source.

* * *

Kiwi greedily ate his bowl of dog food in front of his two male companions, Odd and Ulrich. Ulrich noticed an eerie similarity between the dog's eating habits and a certain someone he knew.

"Yo Odd, Kiwi looks like Nicholas in the lunch room."

"Hey don't compare Kiwi to that slob. My dog has way better manners than that Sissy flunky. I'd bet you that at the end of lunch, it's Nicholas who would have the most food and slobber smeared across his face, not my dog."

Ulrich really didn't want to picture that sight over concerns of maintaining his sanity. A drooling, food-covered Nicholas was too creepy for his taste.

"Hey Odd, I got a great idea that would let some air out of Sissy's overinflated ego. You in?"

"If it involves Sissy being ticked off then, by all means, I'm good to go."

* * *

It was just another ho hum day at the office for Richard Anderson. Watching the computer display that oversaw the path the trains were taking was just as exciting as watching paint dry. The task was so simple, even a two year old could perform it since most of the hard work was being done by computers nowadays making Richard question his true worth in the company he was working for. It was a mentally taxing job for him, not because of all the thinking he had to do, but because he had to use all the mental strength he had to fight back the urge to fall asleep. Downing his third set of coffee and doughnuts that day, the job didn't really offer much in the realms of breaks or food choices but a job was a job, no matter how boring it was. Richard lifted the styrofoam cup to his lips and began to take another large gulp of coffee in hopes that the caffeine could keep him awake until his lunch break.

And that's when all Hell broke lose at his office.

Every single monitor displayed a strange looking eye as all the technicians on the floor did their best to tried to rid themselves of the menace.

"Is this a work of a hacker?" Richard asked starring at the strange eye. "Well it's not my problem to worry about, all I have to do is watch the trains and hope they don't crash into each other."

Richard lifted the cup to his lips once more and stared at the train routes before spitting the hot coffee all over his monitor.

"HOLY CRAP!"

Richard immediately sprung into action. He grabbed the nearest telephone and began to dial the number for the train dispatch office.

"This is Richard Anderson of station number forty-seven we currently have two trains set on a collision course on track seventy five and I request that you tell us what those two trains are carrying."

With a few keystrokes the operator was able to provide Richard with all the information he needed. Richard's grip on the phone was released after hearing the operator's reply.

"Toxic chemicals" he said meekly unable to comprehend the disaster that was fast approaching. Not wanting to waste a single minute, Richard slammed his fist against the desk and stood up.

"CODE RED EVERYONE! CODE RED! I WANT EVERYONE WORKING ON TRYING TO STOP THIS!" Richard screamed with all his furry.

* * *

It had been a very slow news day for reporter Catalina Winterson. For some reason there was absolutely nothing exciting going on today so to fill up time her station forced her to showcase all those stupid human interest stories that she despised with a passion.

"I swear to God" Catalina grumbled to herself. "If I have to do ANOTHER story about some damn chipmunk water skiing, I will personally walk over to my manager a strangle the life out of him."

Suddenly the station intern stormed through the double doors of the studio and threw the latest news bulletin to the impatient reporter. She quickly picked it up and began to skim through the lines.

"Now this is a story that I care about!" She exclaimed as she looked at her focal point and watched the cameraman begin the countdown.

* * *

Jeremie finished the last few commands on his program and hit the enter key which sent it all over the world wide web.

"There" He said which giving his arms a good stretch. "All we have to do is wait for the XANA attack to come and see if its working."

Yumi was lost in thought to care about anything that was going on around her right now. Both Jin and Jeremie noticed this and became curious.

"Ok Yumi what is it?" The both said simultaneously.

"It's Sissy, do you think Ulrich likes her?"

"Sissy" The boys said in unison once again.

"Ok this is freaking me out." Jin said not liking the whole "word synchronisation" he and Jeremie just recently developed.

"Same here." Jeremie replied equally as frightened.

"Why don't you handle this?" Jin said gesturing towards him.

"Ok I will" Jeremie redirected his attention to answering Yumi's question. "Sissy Yumi? Come on, you know as well as I do that there is no romantic connection between those two. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're jealous."

"Jealous" Yumi began to stammer over her words after Jeremie's accusation.

"Jealous...how could...I...and....she..Sissy...ARRRG!"

"Whoa sis chill out" Jin said trying his best to quell Yumi's temper. "How come I only see you flare up like that when it comes to matters concerning Ulrich and Sissy? Oh well, that not for me to ponder right now. Look Yumi, even when Ulrich spent all that "quality time" with Sissy when she had his diary, don't you remember how miserable he was?"

Yumi was uncomfortable with the current topic of the conversation and decided to change it to get the heat off of her.

"So Jeremie, I hope I can see your program in action."

"Yumi" Jin said, pointing out an inherent flaw of her request. "The only way you would be able to see the thing in motion is if at this moment XANA decides to launch another attack but that will never happen."

Soon Jeremie's computer screen was converted to a television set as the three teenagers watched the local news.

"We have a late breaking story." The female reporter on the screen said.

"I just _had_ to open my big mouth" Jin yelled out in despair and was soon hushed by both Yumi and Jeremie."

"Computers regulating various aspects of transportation have gone haywire all over the nation but the most watched story of the moment are the two trains set on a collision course with one another. We now take you live to Jonathan Reed who is at the train station where one of the trains originally departed."

The screen now focused on a middle-aged male reporter standing near a set of train tracks.

"That's correct. Roughly five minutes ago two trains headed in opposite directions and holding some potent toxic chemicals are now on a collision course with one another. This is Richard Anderson, the technician in charge of watching the train's routes. Please Richard, in your own words, tell the views back home what exactly happened."

The camera pans to the left and reveals Richard standing beside the reporter.

"Well I was just watching the monitor that displays the trains routes when all of a sudden all our computers get attacked by this weird eye symbol."

"WEIRD EYE SYMBOL!" Yumi, Jeremie and Jin repeated in unison.

"After that I checked my station once more and I see that these two trains are about to collide with each other.."

"Thank you Richard." The male reported said before brining his microphone to his face once more."

The news screen was soon divided revealing Catalina on the left-hand side and Jonathan on the right.

"Jonathan, what exactly are those trains carrying that is making this who ordeal such a large emergency."

"Both of the trains are carrying a large amount of toxic chemicals and when they crash into each other they will be released into the environment. Scientist predict that this will result in the ecological disaster of the century."

"Is there anyway to stop the two trains?"

"Not really, both of these trains are unmanned and are guided using computers and currently all the computers that would be used to stop them have been taken over by the virus that has swept the nation. From the city's train track's this is Jonathan Reed. Back to you Catalina."

The divide between the two reporters disappeared as Cataline's image occupied the computer screen once more.

"Thank you Jonathan. We'll you posted on any developments no onto international news..."

Jeremie closed the window that displayed the news broadcast and turned to his friends and waited for their input.

"Hmm.." Jin said while stroking his chin. "I'd give that disaster a 5.5 if I were to rate it but that's a stretch ."

"Aniki, didn't you hear the reporter?! Those trains are carrying toxic chemicals that could destroy the environment!"

"Ok then...make it 5.6."

"Well not matter what rating Jin give's this disaster, I can say with utmost certainty that this is the work of XANA." Jeremie said positive of his conclusion.

"Well if this is XANA's doing we should inform the others." Yumi said looking calm. "I'll call Ulrich."

"And I'll punch up Odd's number." Jin said while pulling out his cell phone.

Both the twins pressed the receivers to their ears and hoped that someone would pick up on the other line.

* * *

This was an all too familiar scene for Sissy. Retreating to her room after being insulted by Ulrich's group of friends. Sissy knew that deep down inside he did have feelings for her and was only treating her so meanly so that he could please his friends. Ulrich didn't really hate her, he was just giving into peer pressure from his group. The faster he got out of the "Weirdo Bunch" the sooner he would be able to overcome his shyness towards her. She had to think of a way to isolate Ulrich and have a good discussion with him heart to heart. Once that thought was complete, Sissy's cell phone rang signaling that it received a text message. Curious of it's contents, Sissy accessed her mail to read it.

* * *

_You are the fairest on of all. Meet me at the garden shed as soon as you can. _

With Love,

— You're Secret Admirer

* * *

Looks like she was going to get her moment alone with him after all. She knew this time would come but she never figured out that it would arrive so soon. She checked herself over in the mirror and was happy to see that she was stunning as always before walking outside her dorm.

* * *

"You are the fairest one of them all?!" Odd exclaimed reading the text message that he sent Sissy. "And here I thought Jin's hanging around line was awful."

Currently he was hiding in a set of bushes along with his best friend that were located near a particular garden shed where an important meeting was about to take place.

"It was the best I could think of. Sounds a whole lot better than "I think you're really pretty" or something stupid like that. Besides it's Shakespeare, she totally loves that mushy stuff."

"Man, you must have spent more time with her than I thought. If you know all her likes and dislikes."

"Please Odd, don't remind me of it. I'm still getting nightmares about the whole thing."

Odd was about to open his mouth after seeing how Ulrich left himself wide open for insult but was abruptly halted when he heard his cell phone ring. Ulrich too stopped what he was doing once he felt a slight vibration in his shirt pocket where he stored his phone. Too caught up in the moment of their prank, the boys both turned off their phones to avoid being detected. Sure enough they soon heard footsteps that were gradually getting louder. Ulrich and Odd both ducked into the bushes and watched in-between the leaves to see the fruits of their labor.

* * *

Sissy wished she had a camera with her so she could record this moment and save it for prosperity. Ulrich had finally came to his senses and had asked Sissy to met him in private. Pretty soon they'll get to know each other more and he'll leave that undeserving Yumi behind. Then it would only be a matter of time before they start holding hands in public and all those other romantic activities that real couples partake in. She opened the door to the garden shed and was ready to see her love.

"Alone at last Ulrich. I've been waiting for this moment." Sissy said dreamy eyed, right before she was knocked to the ground by another body.

Sissy's eyes was disoriented and had her eyes close so she had no idea what was really going on. She knew that Ulrich had always wanted to be with her but never THIS badly, She wasn't expecting him to be so direct with her. She open her eyelids to gaze into his soft brown eyes and saw her second surprising site that day.

"AHHH!" Sissy screamed as she threw the small dog off of her. "Yuck, I got dog slobber all over me!"

Sissy was once again confronted fits of laugher generated towards her.

"At a boy Kiwi" Odd said, lifting the dog up in his arms.

Sissy stood up and glared at her offenders. "You two set me up!"

"Yes we did, and it was a good set up in fact." Ulrich replied still having trouble controlling his laughter.

"Hey Sissy what's wrong with Kiwi? He acts like your friend Nicholas except that Nicholas has more fleas."

Odd and Ulrich shared another moment of laughter together before leaving Sissy alone to clean up the mess that Kiwi made when he licked her face.

"If my memory serves me correctly, there is a certain school policy that prohibits the presence of pets on school campus." Sissy smiled her plot for revenge was coming together nicely.

* * *

"That's strange, he shut off his mobile." Yumi and Jin said simultaneously.

"Ok sis we better stop this." Jin said looking concerned.

"Stop what Jin?"

"Ever since we stepped foot in this room, we've been saying stuff simultaneously along with our friend Jeremie and to tell you the truth, the whole thing is freaking me out."

"In case you forgotten..." Jeremie interrupted trying his best to have the two twins focus. "We got a XANA attack on our hands. Once we stop it, you can talk all about voice synchronisation all you want but in the meantime, contact Odd and Ulrich!"

"No can do Einstein." Jin said pocketing his cell phone in his jacket's pocket.

"What?"

"The two of us can't get in contact with either one of them. They turned off their mobiles." Yumi added to Jin's explanation.

"Well you two better find them, or things are going to get real ugly soon."

"Ok then" Yumi and Jin said at the same time. Prompting Jin to slap himself in the forehead.

"Not again" he cried out wondering if this was some sort of curse he had on him.

"Shall we get going Aniki?"

"Wait up Yumi."

Jin removed his headphones and placed his CD player in his backpack before taking out an identical set of street-style headphones to put over his ears.

"Why did you just do that?" Yumi asked perplexed by her brother's sudden change in "wardrobe".

"These are an old pair that broke a long time ago, so I cut the cord off. This way, I can still wear my headphones without me lugging around my player or having the cord get in my way."

"You are so strange Jin."

"I know"

The two siblings said nothing more as the ran outside of the room to search of Ulrich and Odd.

* * *

Sissy had an easy time tracking down Kiwi as he returned to his room after accomplishing Odd's fowl scheme. The tiny pitter patter sound his paws made on the hard tile floor echoed across the hallway giving off his current location. She watched the dog enter Odd and Ulrich's room totally oblivious of her presence as she stood behind from a safe distance. Kiwi then crawled into an open dresser that Odd converted into his bed and nestled against the cleans sheets inside. Before Kiwi knew what hit him, Sissy was already able to run into the room and shut the drawer shut, trapping him inside the dresser.

"That's right you mangy little mutt. Go ahead and sleep inside your dresser for this will be the last time you'll get to enjoy the comforts of our school, I'll make sure of that!" Sissy taunted the dog. She was joyous of the fact that her luck had changed for the better. Now all she needed was the assistance of one man and her revenge would be complete and any moment now, he would stroll down the dorm's hallway where she could get his attention.

Sure enough, as if on cue, Jim turned right around the hallway that Sissy was standing in humming "Smoke Under Water" to himself.

"Sissy what are you doing here?" Jim asked cutting his tune short.

"I was looking for you because I found something."

"Oh really, what?" Jim asked agin smugly.

"Well I found a dog in one of the dorms."

The hunt for the tiny little beast that roamed the campus of Kadic Junior High was finally over for the P.E. teacher.

"Did you say dog?!" He said barely containing his excitement.

"Yes I did Jim" She answered back matter-of-factly.

"So where is it?"

"It's inside Odd and Ulrich's room in the bottom drawer of the dresser. I trapped it there myself so it wouldn't escape."

Jim flashed Sissy the thumbs-up single "Well then let's get it."

Jim walked into the unoccupied dorm and opened the bottom drawer and opened it, revealing the tiny brown dog.

"AHA!" Jim said doing a little celebration dance as if he scored the game winning touchdown at the Super Bowl. "I finally caught you. Your days of using this school as your little playground are over! Oh yeah baby I won! Who da man?! Who da man?!"

Jim resumed his little victory dance and made an importune song about himself. Sissy wasn't exactly sure of the lyrics but they did involve the lines "Jim is the best" and "You can't keep a good Jim down". Sissy was only able to take about two minutes of the man's celebration before she snapped him out of his fantasy world.

"Ahem" Sissy coughed out thus brining Jim back to his senses.

"Yes Sissy" Jim recovered and acted as if he never made a fool of himself in the first place.

"Disciplinary action will take place, correct Jim?"

"Only on the dog's owner."

"WHAT?!" This was an unforseen snag in Sissy's plot that was now brought to her attention. She was expecting to get back at both Odd and Ulrich with her plan but now she had to just settle for one.

"Yep, the school rules only mention punishing the pet's owner."Jim scooped up the tiny dog in his large arms and began to read the tag around it's neck.

"Hmm..according to the information provided here, this is Odd's dog. Now let's see if I can find that boy and show him the consequences for breaking the school rules."

Sissy held up her fingernails and brushed them against her shirt before blowing on them. "Not only are you beautiful Sissy, but you're also very intelligent." She congratulated herself before exiting Odd and Ulrich's room.

* * *

Yumi angrily marched up to Odd and Ulrich who were currently sitting on a bench still laughing at the practical joke they played on Sissy.

"Oh hi Yumi, you missed a great show a few minutes ago." Ulrich greeted the Japanese girl, noticing her presence.

"Yep, Sissy just got a new boyfriend, although you could say that he is a very unorthodox romantic partner. "

Jin couldn't help but wonder what Odd and Ulrich were talking about. "Ehh, what did you guys do to Sissy?" Jin's curiosity getting the best of him.

"We arranged a secret meeting between Sissy and Kiwi."

"Something tells me that you didn't think your plan all the way through." Jin said in despair.

"What do you mean, it worked didn't it?"

"Isn't it illegal to have pets on campus?"

"Yeah, so?" Odd asked, not knowing where Jin was steering the conversation.

"Well" Jin started out calmly before filling up his lungs with air and began his rant. "YOU DON'T DO A PRANK THAT INVOLVES YOU BREAKING THE SCHOOL RULES IF YOU'RE MESSING WITH THE PRINCIPAL'S DAUGHTER CAUSE SHE'S GOING TO BURN YOU IN THE END!"

Odd and Ulrich stared blankly at Jin and were frighted if he was going to have another outburst.

Jin cleared his throat and spoke again. "Ok, now that I have you're full attention class, Yumi has something very important to tell you both."

An frustrated looking Yumi approached the bench and started Ulrich in the eye.

"The both of us have been trying to contact you for the past five minutes! XANA has launched another attack!"

"That is serious Yumi, we better head to the factory right now!" Ulrich said standing and ready to go.

Before any of the friends could make another move, Jim choose that exact moment to crash the party.

"Odd can I have a word with you?"

Odd stood up from the bench and walked towards Jim only to see his dog in Jim's arms.

"Oh no! He found out about Kiwi."

"You bet I did, now come with me, its time you learned the consequences of brining pets on campus." Jim said, leading Odd to the detention room.

Sissy placed both of her hands on her hips and gave Ulrich a sly smile.

"Why do I have a feeling that you played a vital role in this?" Ulrich asked the girl in front of him.

Sissy chose not to respond and instead walked away not caring what Ulrich thought at this moment.

"Listen guys, what's done is done." Yumi said trying to get the group to focus once more. "Jeremie is already at the factory so we better head there too. We'll go through the park since we're much closer to it."

* * *

Jeremie's fingers danced around the keyboard on the factory's computer as he established a connection with Aelita.

"Aelita, are you thre?" Jeremie asked his voiced laced with a feeling of urgency.

"Yes I am Jeremie, what seems to be the problem?"

"I think XANA has launched another attack. Where are you right now?"

"I'm currently in the dessert region. I'll see what I can find and update you if I find anything suspicious."

Aelita disconnected from Jeremie and began her patrol on Lyoko.

* * *

Jim shoved the detention room door open and lead Odd inside. Sure he felt a hint of remorse for the kid he was punishing, he was really close to his dog and all but that animal had caused him so much grief. He could remember many a time when he would walk the dorm's hallways late at night and her a strange scratching sound coming from the rooms and of course who could forget that incident where the dog actually came_into_ his room and began in the middle of the night. He did not like being woken up to go for a midnight jog, nighttime was meant for sleeping, not chasing around troublesome animals.

"Come on Jim." Odd pleaded with the large teacher. "Can't you just bend the rules just once for me?"

"Odd I've already said it once and I'll say it again. NO!"

"But Jim he's such a small dog, he won't cause any trouble."

"Rules are rules and that thing has been nothing but trouble for me. Do you know how many sleepless nights I had wondering if I was going crazy?!" Jim was burning with anger as he relived all of his misfortunes he suffered at the dog's hands.

"Ok Jim, you don't have to get all testy like that. It's like what my friend Jin says, one second of anger equals is one year off your life." Odd said patting himself on the back for finally getting the quote straight and not having to improvise to fill in the missing lines.

"Since when did you become a philosopher?"

"Around the same time you became a dog catcher."

Jin just let out a low grumble before having all of his emotions erupt in one command. "JUST TAKE A SEAT NOW!" He barked out, scarring Odd in the process.

"Ok Odd, you'll be free to go once your parents come over to pick up your tiny friend here. Now in the meantime, just keep quiet and don't bother me unless it's really important."

Jim reached into the desk's drawer and pulled out one of his fitness magazines and began reading it silently. Odd had to find some way to escape from his prison. His first option was to just simply bolt out of the door but that would rise a lot of suspicion from Jim's part jeopardizing their secret so that choice was out of the question. Odd had to get creative if he wished to leave the school and head to the factory. Then an idea hit him, if Kiwi was the cause of his imprisonment in this room, he might as well use him as his means of getting out.

"Hey Jim, I think I'd better take Kiwi out now, I haven't done so all day and you don't want to see what happens if he is denied going outside."

Jim lowered his magazine and stared at the dog who was comfortably sleeping on the floor.

"He looks fine to me."

"This is going to be harder than I thought." Odd said to himself as he began to rethink his strategy.

* * *

Aelita crawled on all fours as not to give any indication of her presence to XANA's monsters. She hid behind a nearby rock and began to survey the scenery before her. Similar to his pervious attack, the tower that XANA activated was on the other side of a giant sea of sand, vacant of any monsters or life. Aelita resumed her connection with Jeremie to tell him the news.

* * *

Jeremie accessed the news station that he was watching in his dorm so get more information on that XANA attack that was plaguing the nation. Catalina Winterson stood at her desk and stared directly ahead at the camera and began to deliver her report once more.

"So far no new developments have arisen concerning the two trains bound for a collision course as they are still rocketing down the tracks at one another at an unprecedented speed. In other news, some cities are in complete chaos as mass riots have swept in the nation from people taking advantage of this unusual computer virus."

"JEREMIE!" Aelita cried out appearing on the computer screen and interrupting his viewing of the afternoon news, not that he really cared for it in the first place.

"Any news from Lyoko?"

"Yes, XANA has activated a tower in the desert region!"

"Once the others get here, I'll send them to Lyoko ASAP."

"Ok Jeremie."

"And Aelita, be careful." Jeremie ended his connection and sat at his chair worried if the girl he cares for would do anything rash.

* * *

Jin was the first one to arrive at the factory's window with Ulrich and Yumi trailing not too far behind. 

"Ok guys, we got a toxic disaster to prevent!" Jin yelled back to his companions.

"Bring it on!" Jin yelled before grabbing the rope and swinging across the factory floor. He opted not to do a repeat performance of his famous backflip from the last XANA attack out of risk on injury and instead landed on the floor in his traditional "Hero Crouch" which involved him landing on one knee and having his right hand on the floor and having his left arm extended fully behind him. Yumi and Ulrich soon made their presences well known as they caught up to Jin and boarded the elevator and took their positions.

Jeremie was relieved once he heard the elevator doors open, revealing his friends on the other side.

"Ok Jeremie what's going on?" Yumi asked, making her way to his computer.

Jeremie looked up at the group and noticed three bodies standing before him instead of four.

"Where's Odd?" He asked wondering about the spiky-haired blond's current whereabouts.

"Jim found out about Kiwi and threw Odd in detention." Ulrich said providing the abridged version of the day's events.

"We'll just have to make do without him then. Ok you three head to the scanners now."

* * *

The elevator doors closed on the three friends once again taking them further down the depths of the abandoned factory. It was always fascinating to know that out of the millions and millions of people that in habited the planet, it was up to a group of five teenagers, selected by chance, and a computer program to save the world on a constant basis. The elevator ride was less stressful since Ulrich was now with the twins and was ready to kick some XANA behind.

Jin removed his extra pair of headphones and began spinning them on his index finger. "So guys, what do you think we'll be facing this time?"

Ulrich shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, monsters."

"Hardy har har" came a fake laughter from Jin's lips.

Yumi used to moment to tell Jin some more words of encouragement before they were virtualized once more.

"By the way Aniki, you did real good on your first day in Lyoko."

"You're just saying that sis, I really didn't do that much. Heck I kept my weapon holstered that entire time. Plus I let that damn Mega Tank kill you. When I saw you devirtualized I almost lost it." Jin said a little disappointed with his performance.

"Jin, you kept Aelita safe and got her to the tower along with Odd's help. That's all we really need. Plus don't worry about me getting devirtualized, it happens to all of us."

The two of them shared another hug in the elevator before the doors to the scanner room opened.

* * *

Richard threw down the stack of papers he was holding and gave the machine that was plaguing him a sharp kick to the side.

"You computerized bastard! Why won't you get the hell out of my office?! You're going to be the cause of this accident and when they record this event in the history book they're going to put that I'm one of the reasons why it happened!"

Richard looked at the display that showed the two trains getting nearer and near by the second and wished that there was a simple handbrake that could stop the trains from moving but in this day and age, finding that sort of manul technology was harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

"Great, twenty minutes before impact. When this is all over, I can both kiss the environment and my reputation goodbye. Maybe I can get a job selling pencils on the street corner provided if these chemicals will ever get out of the air."

Thoughts of the impending disaster filled Richard's head with horrific images and his heart with rage. Needing to vent his emotions once more, he turned towards the computer.

"DAMN YOU!" He yelled once more before he rammed his foot into the metal basin of the machine.

* * *

Oh yeah this was going to be WAY harder than he originally thought it would be. Jim was a lot smarter than he let on, experience was the best teacher and Jim and enough experience to boot. Underneath that gruff exterior lied the cunningness of a sly fox. Jim was a pretty sharp individual and if Odd tried enacting some sort of half-baked escape plan Jim would be able to see through it like a pane of glass in no time flat. Odd looked at the front of the class room and saw that the big guy was asleep, a perfect moment to set up his latest plan. With Jim sleeping, Odd could talk to Kiwi as loud as he wanted. He nudged the small dog with his foot waking him from his slumber.

"Hey Kiwi get up." The dog stood up on Odd's command. He had to get a violent reaction from the dog without hurting and there was only one thing he could do to accomplish that.

"Do you want a biscuit, a nice juicy biscuit?

Kiwi LOVED biscuits as much as his tiny dog-sized heart could muster. Just seeing a biscuit would drive him bonkers, having him beg Odd to feed him one so when faced with the prospects of being offered one, Kiwi was not going to let the opportunity slip by so easily.

Odd got the reaction that he was hoping for.

Kiwi sprung into life instantaneously as if Odd injected several ounces of coffee into his bloodstream. He hopped up and down and began barking at an uncontrollable rate filling the empty room up with his high-pitched yelp.

There was no chance in Hades that Jim was able to sleep through the commotion that Kiwi was causing.

"Odd, what is wrong with your dog, can you keep him quiet. I'm trying to rest here."

"I told you before Jim, he behaves this way a lot. So you either let me take him outside or you sitting through all his barking until my parents get over here."

Jim laid his head down and began to pound his desk with his fist. That dog's barking was_really _getting on his nerves and if he didn't stop soon Jim was going to take a page out of the starving artist Vincent van Gogh's playbook and rip one of his ears off. However, he couldn't just let Odd walk out of the door, now that would be stupid.

"Ok Odd, you win. You're dog will be going outside."

"SCORE!" Odd thought to himself wearing a triumphant grin on his face.

"But I'm taking him out, you stay here and don't even think about leaving this room."

Jim attached the leash to Kiwi's collar and walked outside the room with Kiwi trying his best to stay inside. Odd waited a couple of minutes before letting out another roar of laughter. Maybe Jim wasn't as smart as he originally was seeing how he fell for Odd's trick so easily.

"Tsk don't leave the room." Odd said to himself. "That's like telling XANA not to attack the school. It's just not going to happen anyway."

Odd opened a nearby window and jumped out of the building. Fortunately for him the detention room was on the first floor so the fall was pretty small. He dusted himself off and ran towards the park that housed the entrance to the sewers.

* * *

Tamiya couldn't believe her eyes and rubbed them once more to see if they were playing tricks on her and sure enough they weren't. Milly saw the sight too and was too busy laughing to care if the sight was real or just a figment of her imagination. It was just THAT funny. In front of her was the infamous Jim, _the_ most intimidating teacher on the campus of Kadic Junior High. His word was almost law as he enforced the campus's regulations with machine-like precession. But his reputation only fueled the humor to the sight before her. Right in the middle of the school, Jim was walking a small brown dog that was no bigger than his forearm. Once again this had to be one of the funniest sights Tamiya saw all day.

"Walking your wittle doogie Jim" Milly said in a sickeningly cute voice.

"Well why don't you take a picture? It would last longer!" Jim yelled out in his defense, only to be blinded by a flash produced by a camera.

"God, what did I have to say that in front of a group of reporters?" Jim grumbled to himself realizing his costly error he made a little too late

"My, my, my, what do we have here?" came an icy cold voice behind him.

"Oh no! Not those two" Jim said out loud.

"Now this is interesting. Big, bad Jim walking a tiny little dog around the school." Clayton pointed out.

Jim just couldn't take the insults anymore. "YEAH THAT'S RIGHT, I AM WALKING A SMALL DOG AND I'M PROUD OF IT! YOU HEAR ME ?! PROUD OF IT. P-R-O-U-D!"

Dirk alternated his glances between Jim and Kiwi before placing his hands in his pockets.

"Charming" He said calmly before walking away along with Clayton.

Jim couldn't take the insults anymore and dragged Kiwi back to the detention room.

"Listen you mutt, you had your chance to go to the bathroom but now you're going back inside."

Jim tugged at the leash once more and began to drag Kiwi back inside. Upon reaching opening the door, Jim noticed that the room was now empty and a window that used to be closed was now hanging open, it's hinges squeaking as it moved back and forth as the result of the wind. Jim threw the leash on the floor and turned to dog out of frustration only to watch him lift its hind leg and leave a little "present" behind on the wall.

"They're not paying me _nearly_ enough money for this job" Jim said as he went outside to look for a sponge and a bucket of water so he could clean up this mess.

* * *

"Ok team, let's go." Yumi said as she entered her scanner.

Jin placed his headphones on the side of the scanner before stepping inside of it. "Alrighty then!" Jin said in his best Ace Ventura voice.

Ulrich said nothing and just walked inside and waited for the door to close. Jeremi's voice soon came over the speakers.

"Ok guys, I'll be starting the process shortly. And to Jin, please don't try to tie your shoelaces again! Now let's begin. Transfer Yumi. Transfer Ulrich. Transfer Jin.

All three of the heroes heard the familiar hum that the scanner made signaling that everything was working perfectly.

"Scanner Yumi. Scanner Ulrich. Scanner Jin."

Jeremie uploaded all three of the character cards in record time before pressing the return button.

"Virtualization!"

* * *

Ulrich and Yumi both landed on Lyoko's surface gracefully. As for Jin...

"AHHH!"

THUD!

Let's just say he needed a little more work on his landing.

"I see your brother still has trouble landing on his feet." Aelita commented as the walked towards the group.

"Well least the dirt on Lyoko still taste the same." Jin said from his all-too-familiar position of lying face down in the ground.

"Get up Jin" Ulrich said rather sharply. "We have work to do"

Jin slowly stood up and was introduced to Ulrich's Lyoko character.

"Now that's really cool!" Jin said commenting on his outfit. "Ulrich is a samurai in Lyoko. I'm totally digging the yellow headband and katana you got there."

Ulrich didn't really have time for Jin's wise cracks as he had a mission to do.

"Let's just deactivate the tower before anything bad happens back on Earth."

Ulrich and the others walked into the depths of the dessert and noticed that they were standing in a wide open area.

"Yumi, is it just me or does this place hold an eerie resemblance to the last time I was in Lyoko?" Jin asked sensing that something was amiss here.

"There is,..no monsters and an open field, this could possible be another XANA ambush."

"If I see another sandstorm here I'm going to lose it." Jin said clenching his hand into a fist.

Jeremie looked at his holomap and saw several red marks around his friends.

"GUYS WATCH OUT! YOU'RE SURROUND BY MONSTERS!" He yelled to warn the combatants.

The party froze in their tracks and checked their surroundings. Ulrich held his arm up to warn the others as he drew out his sword and waited for the enemy. Yumi responded kindly by pulling out her fan and began to scan the area. Jin stood next to Aelita before spreading his legs out slightly and rasing his arms up, forming his battle stance.

Jin looked straight ahead at the unseen enemies and began to gesture towards them with his hand. "Ok XANA, let's rock!"

Yumi turned to her brother and notice that despite the inevitable battle that they were going to be drawn in, Jin's hands were still empty but before she could worry about this thought, she saw five beams of red light coming towards the group.

"AHH!" Ulrich screamed out as he was struck in his right shoulder. Yumi looked at her friend and didn't see the laser pierce her abdomen. Instinctively she keeled over in pain placing both her arms on the area to help ease her suffering. Jin saw both Yumi and Ulrich get hit by the barrage and narrowly sidestepped the laser that was intended to go into his chest. Aelita too was able to avoid damage by ducking underneath the attack. Ulrich recovered from his trauma and looked at the line of enemies before him.

"Guys, you're being attacked by five blocks!" Jeremie yelled at the group.

"I can see that_now_ Jeremie." Ulrich said flatly.

Jin looked at the enemies and held up his hands in defense. "Ok, so much for rock. Mozart anyone?"

The blocks opened fired at the party once more. Ulrich used his sword to deflect the lasers while Yumi leapt into the air and threw her fan at one of the enemies. The block effortlessly dodge the oncoming attack and Yumi caught her fan.

Jin stood behind Ulrich and Yumi and noticed how defenseless Aelita was at this given moment and that two blocks decided to take advantage of that opening. Thinking on his feet, Jin rushed over to her and grabbed both of her arms and pulled her in close.

"May I have this dance my lady?" Jin said as he dipped the girl low allowing a laser to pass over her. Another laser came his way and Jin held Aelita close to him and spun her out of his path, he then extended his arm and whipped Aelita away from him, still holding on to her with his arm and had the third shot miss her body by just inches.

Aelita couldn't help be feel a little overjoyed as she was being twirled, and spined by Jin. This was certainly an activity she was not familiar with.

"Jin what is this that we are doing together?" Aelita asked curious about the activity she was partaking in.

Despite the lighthearted nature of the activity, Jin did not look all too happy. He stared at the two blocks and anticipated their next moves so he could react accordingly. Without even turning his head to face Aelita, he answered her question.

"It's called ballroom dancing Aelita."

"WHY ARE YOU BALLROOM DANCING WITH AELITA JIN?! THIS IS LYOKO, NOT THE DANCE FLOOR!" Jeremie screamed at the computer wondering why he wasn't taking the fight he was in so seriously.

"Chill out Jeremie, if you haven't noticed, this is the only way I can keep Aelita safe. She hasn't been hit once by those two blocks and I intended to keep that record going."

Jeremie knew that Jin could not keep that vigorous pace up for long and eventually he will mess up leaving Aelita alone to fend for herself. The five blocks that they were fighting proved to be too much for the group to handle.

"Ok everyone, we're going to have to make a tactical retreat."Jeremie said trying to minimize the damage that his friends took.

"That's great idea. But where?" Ulrich asked still deflecting the lasers that were coming his way.

"There's a bunch of rocks nearby, maybe you could lose them there."

The blocks stopped their firing for a moment to regroup.

"Ok, Aelita, go with Yumi and Jin to the area that Jeremie suggested. I'll stay here and hold off the blocks for you guys."

"Ulrich are you CRAZY?!" Jin yelled at his friend. "You're outnumbered five to one!"

"Not for long." Ulrich jumped into the air and activated his power. "TRIPLICATE!" Soon enough he landed on the floor along with two more Ulrich clones by his side. "Now it's five on three, I like those odds. NOW GET GOING!" Ulrich barked.

Yumi, Jin and Aelita complied and ran towards the rock field leaving Ulrich behind to take one for the team.

"Now _that's _a power!"Jin said before he joined up with his sister.

Before Ulrich's strike team could seize the momentum in the fight, two blocks opened fired at his clones and eliminated them thus making Ulrich their sole opponent.

"Not good" Ulrich said to himself as he raised his sword in the air.

* * *

"YEAH!" Odd screamed out as he threw his skateboard onto the sewer floor before he road it to the factory. He peddled himself as fast as he could, ignoring all pleas from his body to slow down. It was his fault that he was running late to the battle and now he was pushing himself to his physical limit to make up for lost time. Odd saw the gap in the sewer quickly approaching, he leapt in the air and performed a kickflip with his skateboard before landing.

"I wonder how Ulrich and the others are doing?" Odd pondered keeping his eye on the ladder that was drawing closer to him.

* * *

"IMPACT!" Ulrich stabbed his sword deep into the XANA symbol and thus spelling the end of the block that fell victim to the attack. Things were looking grim for him. He was a few lifepoints down and all alone in his fight against the four remaining blocks. Ulrich knew that if he continued fighting this way, it was only a matter of time before he would be eliminated, so he decided to take evasive action.

Ulrich turned his back to the blocks and ran towards the rock field where Yumi, Jin and Aelita were. The blocks were dead set on killing him and quickly followed closely behind which is what Ulrich wanted from the beginning. Ulrich leapt high into the air and allowed a block to pass right underneath him before landing on top of it.

"IMPACT" Ulrich yelled out once more, plunging his sword into the block's eye creating a slight electrical build up in it's wound. Ulrich jumped off the block to escape being caught up in the explosion and hit the ground running. He didn't see the block closest to him fire a peculiar looking projectile in his direction and even less prepared for the results of it.

The icy blue beam struck Ulrich in the back and instantly immobilized him. He tried his best to move his body but was still standing there motionless. He suddenly felt his body get colder as ice began to creep down his torso and spread to his arms. He struggled to break free from his frozen prison but his efforts were in vain. Seeing how the end was near Ulrich stopped moving and admitted defeat.

"Sorry guys." He said as the ice moved up to his neck and extinguished his remaining lifepoints.

* * *

"Aelita come on we have to keep running!" Yumi called out to the pink haired girl who was trailing behind. She then watched in horror as she tripped over a small rock and fell to the floor. Yumi dashed over to her side while Jin's eyes wandered across the field to see if they were being followed.

"Aelita, you have to get up or else those blocks will catch up to us!" Yumi pleaded with the girl as she helped her to her feet.

Jin stared dead ahead and did not like the sight that was before him.

"TOO LATE SIS, THE BLOCKS ARE MAKING THEIR WAY DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Aelita quickly got up and took cover behind a nearby rock and saw the blocks walk down the field in a triangle formation. One block took the lead while the remain two walked behind him parallel to one another.

"Looks like there's no use running anymore Aniki. We're going to have to fight them."

"Now you're talking, sis!"

Yumi quickly thought of a strategy to use to overcome the enemies. "Ok Jin, don't engage the enemy until I make the necessary arrangements." Yumi placed her hands to her temples and began to concentrate forming a red aura around her body. "TELEKINESIS!"

Jin turned around an saw one of the giant slabs of rock become engulfed in a similar red aura that was around his sister. She slowly moved it to the middle of the battlefield and waited for the blocks to get in range. Jin watched her struggle as she tried her best to keep the heavy object suspended in the air. When the blocks got close enough, Yumi dropped the rock causing it to crash to the Earth and land on the unsuspecting target.

"NOW!"

Jin and Yumi dove behind the rock and stood side by side and prepared to attack. Jin was the first to spin out from his cover but quickly retreated back to his hiding spot as a barrage of lasers came his way however, his sister was not so lucky. Jin heard his sister grunt a few times before falling over by his side with her eyes closed. As he watched her body slowly fade away, Jin realized that once again, he was in Lyoko by himself.

* * *

Yumi hobbled to the computer room to join Ulrich and Jeremie.

"How are things looking down there."

"Well thank's to Jin's ballroom dancing abilities, both he and Aelita still have one-hundred lifepoints which is a good thing because he's going to need all the health he could get if he's going to defeat those blocks." Jeremie replied right before the elevator doors opened once more.

"ODD!" The tree friends called out his name in unison.

"Good to see you too." Odd glanced around the room and noticed that both Yumi and Ulrich were with Jeremie. "Let me guess, Jin is in Lyoko by himself again huh?"

The remaining occupants of the room nodded their heads in agreement.

* * *

"Just great" Jin said to himself. "You're second day in Lyoko and already you're fighting these monsters by yourself."

"Jin!" Jeremie called out trying to get his attention. "Odd has arrived and will be there shortly. In the meantime, you have to take out those blocks yourself. I know you're not supposed to be doing that sort of thing, but we have no choice. Find your own way with dealing with them!"

Jin pressed his back against the rock and began to formulate his own strategy. Jeremie was right, all this time he had been running away from these things and it was about time he fought back. It was now or never. He was either going to show the rest of the group that he was indeed worthy of his position in their inner circle or die trying. His brow creased as he left fingers began to massage the tiny bones in his right knuckles. Without wasting anymore time,Jin jumped out of his hiding place and began to focus on his targets.

"Oh no, Jin just cracked his knuckles, those blocks are in for it now!" Odd said from the factory.

"What is Aniki doing?!" Yumi asked shocked to see her brother make such a reckless move.

Jeremie calmly sat in his seat and answered her question. "He's doing the best move possible."

"What?"

"Check for yourself"

Jeremie brought up the image that Jin's sunglasses were picking up. She watched the two blocks in the picture suddenly turn black and white along with the rest of the scenery as all the movement in the picture began to slow down to a crawl.

"Is there something wrong with the camera Jeremie?" Ulrich asked, looking at the strange picture.

"That's not the work of a camera Ulrich, that's Jin's power."

"WHAT?!" The rest of the friends screamed out in shock.

"Jin's sunglasses take pictures of things not like how regular camera's do. Instead this a visual feedback from Jin's optic nerves. In short you ARE looking through Jin's eyes."

"You mean this is exactly how Jin is watching the battle?" Odd asked confused.

"Yes"

"WHAT THE?!" Odd pointed at the screen and saw another unusual sight. One top of the whole picture becoming black and white, he saw several little cross-hairs begin to appear all over the two block's body's. They were everywhere, on their bodies, their legs and especially, on the XANA symbol.

"What is he doing Jeremie?"Yumi asked in awe of the sight she was beholding.

"His best attack" Jeremie said with a smile.

* * *

Jin dove sideways and faced the blocks. His body was almost parallel to the ground as he continued his flight through the air. The blocks were unable to hit him since he was in such in an awkward position. Once Jin got enough cross-hairs on the blocks, he reached into his left shoulder with his right hand and his right waist with his left hand and drew out his weapons. A pair of silver 45. caliber pistorls were drawn from the holsters where they were stored in and were now aimed at the blocks. Jin steadied his aim before sayings the words to que his attack.

"Activate Lyoko power...BULLET BARRAGE!"

Jin's vision returned to normal as he repeatedly began to pull the trigger. Every area that had a cross-hair was instantly targeted as Jin began to unleash a deadly cloud of bullets at the two blocks. His enemies didn't stand a chance as all the bullets met their marks dead on. The monsters staggered back with every hit as they were unable to launch a counter attack after such a vicious assault but were still standing. Jin them dove behind another rock and pressed his back to it.

* * *

"NO WAY!" Odd said with his jaw hanging open. In the short period of time it took for Jin just to dive out of the way, he was able to fire off twenty rounds from his guns. It was an insane sight indeed.

Jeremie checked the holomap and still saw two red icons standing in front of Jin.

"What gives Jeremie?" Ulrich asked. Still in shock after witnessing Jin's attack. "Jin just unloaded a bunch of bullets into XANA's monsters yet they're still alive."

"I knew this was going to happen."

"Huh?" Odd asked still confused.

"Remember when you said that we had to make sacrifices to Jin's character?"

"Yeah"

"Well this is one of them. Jin's character was specifically designed to be a support class for all of you while you were on Lyoko. Those handguns that he's using are not meant for one-on-one combat against XANA's monsters since the damage they do is so weak."

"Wait, Jin's guns are weaker than my Laser Arrows?"

"Yes they are, but that was intentional."

"I don't get it Jeremie, who would Jin intentionally give his character a weak weapon?" Ulrich asked confused by the older boy's logic.

"Jin's pistols have really good range and a rate of fire, not to mention he has a total of forty shots. Because of these aspects, Jin's guns are naturally weak, but the weapon's intention is not for combat, but for distraction."

"Huh?"Odd asked wondering about the weapon's purpose in Lyoko if they weren't meant for direct combat.

"Did you see what happened to the block when Jin kept shooting it?"

"Yeah, it kept getting knocking back."

"Exactly! No matter where Jin's bullets hit, they're going to cause the monsters to stagger a bit. Like I said before, Jin's character is a support character. His duty is to fire endless rounds into XANA's monsters disrupting their attacks and knocking them senseless."

"Oh I get it!" Yumi proclaimed while snapping her fingers. "Then we come up and finish the monsters off ourselves without worry of being hurt."

"Correct Yumi so Jin can't fight on the front lines a lot. He has to hit the XANA symbol on a monster twice before he's able to destroy."

"So that's why you said Jin has to use a new fighting style." Odd said more informed than before. "Because he has a different character role in Lyoko! That's the real purpose of his power, to fire at a bunch of enemies at once to give us time to close in on them!"

"That's right, also another reason why we made his guns so weak was so that we had enough space left on his character to make room for his second feature."

"Second feature?" Ulrich asked confused.

"We'll talk about it later." Odd said running to the elevator. "If Jin's character isn't meant to fight on his own, I better get to Lyoko and fight with him. Wish me luck."

Odd road the elevator down and stepped into the scanners.

"Transfer Odd" Jeremie spoke into the speakers once again.

"Scanner Odd" Odd's character was then loaded into Lyoko.

"Virtualization!"

* * *

Jin ejected the spent magazines from his guns and loaded in his last two clips before taking any further action. Both of the blocks were still alive and they both needed just one more shot before he could send them to kingdom come. Jin turned around the corner and opened fired at the pair of enemies. He fired several shots into the and watched one of the blocks blow up. The reaming survivor then shot another laser which struck Jin in the chest before he took cover behind the rock once more. Jin's chest was on fire as he panted to catch his breath. This was the first time he was ever hit in Lyoko and he was already not liking the feeling he was experiencing. Slowly the pain subsided leaving behind a numb feeling where he was hit.

"The block is expecting me to attack from the sides again. Let's give him a little surprise and take this fight somewhere else." Jin said to himself as he began to climb the rock he was standing behind. He reached the peak of it and looked down at his target.

"The last place the block in waiting for me...IS UP!" Jin screamed out and he jumped at the block and extended his foot. Jin delivered a power flying kick at his opponent, knocking the machine backwards. He then threw out another vicious boot to the creature and almost knocked it back off its legs staggering it backwards once more. Jin captalized on the newly created gap he formed and place his gun point blank into the XANA symbol right before he pulled the trigger at point-blank range. The block's explosion knocked Jin down putting him in a slight daze.

"Good work Jin" Jeremie congratulated him from the factory.

"No problem" Jin said as he spun the guns around his fingers in celebration.

* * *

Odd used his cat-like agility to run across the rocks as if they were rooftops. He was making good time in rushing to Jin and Aelita's aid until he noticed a large metal ball roll right past him.

"OH NO!" Odd exclaimed to himself as he picked up the pace.

"Jin I hate to cut your celebration short but you have a Mega Tank coming your way!"

* * *

"A Mega Tank!" Jin repeated as he felt his temper flare up once more. He vividly remembered a Mega Tank killing his sister last time he was in Lyoko and he wanted retribution. 

"Aelita, run to the tower, this bastard is mine!" Jin yelled out as he prepared for its entrance. Once the tank was in sight, Jin drew his guns once more and began to unleash a hailstorm of bullets at the tank too busy concentrating on his personal vendetta to care about how little damage he was actually causing. The bullets bounced off the tank's iron hide and was still rolling at Jin as if it wasn't even acknowledging his presence. Jin saw how dangerously close the tank was getting towards him and jumped out of the way but was too slow. Jin's chin struck against the tank's massive body and was quickly knocked unconscious as he laid on the floor not knowing what hit him

* * *

Odd saw the whole thing before his eyes. Jin was tossed aside like a rag doll as the tank collided into his body as if he was nothing. There was nothing he could do for Jin right now, he had to save Aelita.

* * *

"CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!" Richard was beside himself with stress as he watched the trains get closer and closer. Thank God the police already evacuated the area or else he would have been remembered as a murder along with being a slipshod technician.

"Two minutes till impact!" Richard screamed to himself.

* * *

Aelita ran as fast as her legs could carry her but the Mega Tank was gaining ground on her fast. Seeing no what out, Aelita looked at the tank. Jeremie watched the Aelita's character card pair up against the Mega Tank.

"Aelita what are you doing, you can't fight that thing by yourself!" Jeremie yelled, but his friend had already made up her mind.

Aelita knelt on the ground and began to sing to the heavens. The tank continued on its path until a massive shockwave split the earth that it was treading on causing it to veer off course and crash into a random assortment of rocks.

"That's the spirit Aelita!" Jeremie said joyfully. In the background she could also hear Ulrich and Yumi cheering impressed with her cleverness. Aelita quickly ran into the tower with out a care in the world. However, there was one fact that everyone overlooked....

The tank was still in one piece.

The Mega Tank charged up its energy cannon and aimed it directly at Aelita. At that moment it seemed that all was lost.

And that's when Odd came to save the day.

Odd quickly dove in front of Aelita and absorbed the deadly energy wave for her and was knocked back a couple of feet away from the tower. The tank's weak point was still open and Odd took advantage of it by firing a laser arrow right in its center.

"And that was for Jin!" He yelled at the tank before it blew up.

The scene was all to familiar for the girl. The inside of the tower was abundant with activity but there was not time to be impressed with that right now. She had a job to do. Brining up the computer screen she imputed a familiar code.

* * *

AELITA

* * *

Jeremie once again brought up the news on his computer and saw both of the trains drawing ever closer on top of one of the cities bridges. He held his breath and hoped that Aelita was not too late

* * *

CODE

* * *

Richard banged his head against his desk as he watched the news and the trains coming together. He hated himself for what happened. If only he was more alert, if only he didn't slack off so much, if only he found the answer. Then none of this would happen. Richard closed his eyes and prepared himself for the public backlash he was about to receive.

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

"Return to the past now!" Jeremie screamed out as he hit the return key on his keyboard setting back the clock on the day's events.

"You are the fairest one of them all?!" Yumi said slightly appalled by the cheesiness of Ulrich's message for Sissy. She along with her brother were now hiding in the bushes watching Ulrich's prank follow through.

"Hey it was the best I could think of." Ulrich said in his defense as he spotted Sissy make her way to the shed. "Ok everyone get down now" He whispered as everyone got into a comfortable position.

"Alone at last Ulrich I've been waiting for this moment." Once again Sissy found herself on the floor but this time she was pinned down by a human body.

"Oh I've always known you loved me after all these years of being my friend!" An individual with glasses said."

"HERB!" Sissy said just as disgusted as the last time they pulled this prank off. She was too busy trying to stand up to notice the flash that was coming from the bushes. "What on Earth are you doing here?!"

"I got you're message, meet me in the garden shed" Herb said in his defense.

Now Sissy wasangry. She was expecting Ulrich, not the smater member of her group of friends.

"Just wait till my father finds out about this!" Sissy said as she stomped away from the confused boy.

Yumi held the instant photograph that she took when Herb was on top of Sissy and began to laugh out loud. "Looks like we've just witnessed the beginning and end of a beautiful relationship."

Odd took the picture out of Yumi's hand and began to look at it closely. "Don't worry about that Yumi. We've just documented the event and once Milly and Tamiya print this in the school paper everyone around campus will find out eventually."

"Oh these sort of things make me so sad."Jin said as he faked being sad. "I always cry when couples break up. Even screwed up ones like Sissy and Herb I just hope a certain two people I know won't go down the same path."

"And who would that be." Ulrich asked totally obvious to the reference Jin was making.

"Geez I wonder too" Odd said sarcastically as he wrapped both of his arms around Ulrich and Yumi's shoulders. Causing both of their cheeks to redden.

"CUT IT OUT ODD!" Yumi and Ulrich said loudly causing the boy to take a couple of steps back.

"What? Was it something I said?"

END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking.**

OK in case you were wondering, this is the segment where I talk to you guys about the outside development of this fic and to answer any questions. First off, our very own Trillinka has submitted some very cool Dirk and Clayton fanart to me. As long as I keep writing, I'm free to destitute them to the fans so just e-mail me a request for them and please extend your thanks to Trillinka, she's obviously worked pretty damn hard on the pictures. Also, I was able to find another artist on the Code Lyoko message board. His name is Daniel and he says that he would be honored in helping me out. Let's all cross our fingers and hope that this will be the beginning of a beautiful partnership. Ok Viciousassassin has asked me if there are any episodes that I'm looking forward to write, so I'll use the remaining space here to answer that question.

When I write my stories, there aren't specific episodes that I look forward to writing but more of specific scenes. Here are the scenes that I enjoyed the most writing.

**Episode 1: Teddygodzilla**

**1. Jin's Introduction:** Jin needed to be introduced correctly and I did not want him to be a faceless generic character  
**2. The Magical Activated Tower of Oz:** I really had fun writing that line  
**3. Jin Saving Sissy:** Jin really needed a moment for him to shine in the episode so the fans would have something to latch on to and so that he could prove his worth to the group.

**Episode 1.5: Deja Vu's Recruit **

1. Dirk Brooding in His Room: This was the magic scene that totally transformed Dirk's character from know-nothing bully to refined evil genius. Every time I write a scene for Dirk, I enjoy it immensely.  
**2. Jin in the Factory:** There were so many moments I liked here. The race, Jin meeting Aelita and of course the conversation about Taoism. I was trying not to make that discussion seem too much like a lecture.  
**3. THE FIGHT:** Ah man did I love writing fights. I've choreographed a few myself and I'll tell you it's really hard to write a good fight scene in a fanfic.

**Episode 2: Seeing is Believing**

**1. Odd and Yumi Playing Rock, Paper, Scissors:** I just liked how cute that scene turned out. It was pretty fun to write  
**2. The Brussel's Sprout Argument:** I thought that was a funny conversation that Jeremie and Ulrich would have.  
**3. The "Play by Play":** This scene really just showed how goofy and arrogant Jin could really be.  
**4. Jin Talking to the Fireman:** I loved that little line he says, "If I did make this up, I would have made twenty-six episodes of the stuff and sold it to an animation company to make a cartoon series" That's one of my favorite Jin quotes.

**Episode 3: Holiday in the Fog**

**1. The Bunny Ears:** That was a little running joke I had going on in the episode to give Jim some comic relief.  
**2. Sissy and Herb:** On of the many scenes I wrote to give more moments when Sissy shows some real compassion and heart  
**3. Jim and Sissy:** Once again I used this scene to make Jim and Sissy seam more human and to beef up their character development.  
**4. Jin in the School:** This moment shows how Jin's problems have yet to be solved at that his never-say-die attitude is not always a good thing as he almost died in that scene.

**Episode 4: Logbook**

**1. Brooding Dirk (Continued):** This scene allowed the reader to go inside Dirk's head and see what makes him tick. When writing this I wanted you to get a glimpse of Dirk's unique thought pattern.  
**2. The Rooftop Battle:** Another great fight scene that I could see happening in Code Lyoko  
**3. Dirk's Dropkick:** Not only did this scene look badass, but it showed that even Dirk was capable of performing some good.  
**4. The Elevator:** Even though Jin is the older brother, there are moments where Yumi shows more strength than him and I wanted to show that here.

**Episode 5: Big Bug**

**1. The Tree Entrance:** That was one of the first scenes that I first thought of. Since Jin likes to show up at random places without warning. Why not have him drop in on a conversation, literally.  
**2. Voice Synchronisation:** Again another attempt for me in inject humor in the story.  
**3. Jim Walking Kiwi:** Again more humor in the story  
**4. Jin's Guns:** This is anther scene where Jin shines thus ending the question of what his weapons are in Lyoko. Not too mention making him an official warrior in Lyoko.

Finally, I was thinking about housing my fic on a website so that I could post the pictures up andhave more people see it but I don't know if I could ever accomplish that, I'm having a hard enough time writing the fic but hey, that's why I call this segment wishful thinking.

Before I came up with Jin's character, I was thinking about all the weapons and powers he could use. Here's the real list, the phony ones are in the outtakes section.

**Alternate List of Rejected Weapons for Jin in Lyoko**

1. Two Tonfas  
2. A Bo Staff  
3. A Sickle (Think Grim Reaper)  
4. Two Kama's  
5. Two Nunchakus  
6. His Fists and Feet  
7. A Flail  
8. No weapon but Would Shoot Fireballs Constantly  
9. A LOT of Throwing Knives  
10. A Deck of Playing Cards

**Alternate List of Rejected Powers for Jin in Lyoko**

1. Pyrokinesis (The ability to control fire)  
2. The Ability to Shoot Fireballs  
3. Healing  
4. Levitation  
5. No Power but instead carries a lot of gernades

* * *

**Outtakes:**

Now before I begin, let me just say that I'm surprised by the overwhelming support I'm getting with this thing so I'll try something new. To increase audience participation and to get you the reader better involved, I'm going to let the audience SUBMIT THEIR OWN RETELLING OUTTAKES. You heard me clearly. You submit the outtake and I'll post them in my next chapter and I'll be sure to credit you of course. But first here a few rules.

1. All outtakes must be submitted by e-mail  
2. Please give a clear indication what episode your outtake comes from and what the original scene that you're parodying is.  
3. KEEP IT CLEAN! I'm a liberal guy and I know I slightly curse in my fic but I don't want any nasty jokes coming my way. I'd really hate to bump my fic's rating up to R just because of a few outtakes that a random fan submitted. Now onto the main event.

* * *

"Well I'm uploading to all the major websites out there now. It's basically a warning program that rates all unnatural disasters on a scale of one to ten. Whenever a disaster ranks higher than a five then the programs informs me of it. It's the best way for us to spot a potential XANA attack."

"Nice lie Jeremie, now what are you REALLY doing?" Jin asked seeing through Jeremie's fib.

Jeremie minimized his window and showed Jin that he was playing a video game all this time. All of a suddent the game's annoucner's voice came out the speakers.

"COUNTER TERRORIST WIN!"

"And I thought he was the smart one." Jin said under his breath.

* * *

"I know I'm good with computers, but I can't work miricles.

Suddenly Aelita apperared on Jeremie's compute screen.

"Wow Jeremie, You've turned all the water in Lyoko into wine!'

Jermei was caught red-handed. "I...uh...mmm..gotta go!"

**School Bench Scene Take 1 **

An frustrated looking Yumi accompanied by Jeremie approached the bench and started Ulrich in the eye.

"The both of us have been trying to contact you for the past five minutes! XANA has launched another attack! We need to get to Lyoko now!"

"What is he up to now?"

"He's having two trains carrying toxic chemicals are going to crash into each other!"

"Well if this involves the environment maybe going into Lyoko isn't enough. We'll have to use the special plan."

"Oh no you don't mean.."

"Yep"

"Ok guys get ready."

The rest of the group all removed rings from their pockets . Yumi was the first to speak and began the process holding her green ring to the sky.

"LET OUR POWERS COMBINE! EARTH!" A green beam shot out of her ring.  
"FIRE!" Jin yelled out shooting for a red laser.

"WIND!" Jeremie called out.

"WATER!"Ulrich soon followed.

"HEART!...Ah man, why do I have to get heart? Heart sucks."

All five to the beams met in the air and formed a super powered man with blue skin.

"BY YOUR POWERS COMBINED I AM CAPTAIN PLANET!"

* * *

**School Bench Scene Take 2 **

A frustrated looking Yumi approached the bench and started Ulrich in the eye.

"The both of us have been trying to contact you for the past five minutes! XANA has launched another attack! Jin and I will stop the train, you two head to Lyoko.

"How will you do that?" Ulrich asked.

"I thought you never asked." Both Yumi and Jin removed an identicle set of rings and joined them together.

"WONDER TWIN POWERS ACTIVATE"

"Form of, Anti-Virus software !" Yumi was transformed into a walking computer disk.

"Form of, a really big stick!" Jin yelled as he was turned into a stick.

"A really big stick Aniki?"

"But I always wanted to transform into a stick!" Jin winned.

"Fine, you can be the stick!"

"YAY!"

School Bench Scene Take 3

An frustrated looking Yumi approached the bench and started Ulrich in the eye.  
"The both of us have been trying to contact you for the past five minutes! XANA has launched another attack!"

Jin looked over at his sister. "Hey Yumi, lets solve this our special way."

"Ok Aniki, ready guys?"

All five of the friends reached behind their backs and each pulled out a strange large coin.

"IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!"

* * *

**Rejected Weapons for Jin in Lyoko**

1. A Beaver And a Jar of Whiskey  
2. A Steel Chair  
3. A Spork  
4. Jim's Band-aid  
5. Lot's of Money  
6. A Keyboard  
7. A Golf Club  
8. Pepper Spray

**Rejected Powers for Jin in Lyoko**

1. Moonwalker Magic  
2. Having REALLY Nice Hair

* * *

"Alone at last Ulrich. I've been waiting for this moment" Sissy said as she opened the door to the garden shed. All of a sudden, she was being squeezed and lifted up in the air by a very large man. Sissy opened her eyes so she could identify who was hugging her.

"JIM?!" She said out of astonishment. "YOU'RE MY SECRET ADMIRER?!"

Jim looked equally as surprised. "Wait, You're not Marie!"

"Huh?"

"She was my mail order bride that I ordered. Being a P.E. teacher in a boarding school is very lonely so I ordered her. I must have got the wrong message. But if you're here, where's Marie."

Suddenly Sissy heard Herb's excited voice in the distance.

"HOT DAMN BABY! WHO NEEDS SISSY?!"

"Lucky bastard" Jim muttered underneath his breath.

* * *

**Words on the Chapter **

I don't have much to say except that this was a pretty short chapter. I didn't have a lot to work with in this episode. I hope you liked all the humor I put into the story, just me trying a little something different. Ok please don't flame me about making Jin a gunner saying that I bit off the Matrix. Look I was dead set on having Jin use two guns since I thinkg that would be a cool Lyoko weapon. Plus he's not a straight gunner since he's pistols do no damage. Incase you were wondering, I got Jin's power from the video game Red Dead Revolver, the main character uses a power similar to Jin's and I thought it was a lot more creative than just giving him Bullet Time since that idead has been done to death. Also, with all the fight scenes I wrote inside and outside Lyoko, I've added Action/Adventure to the secondary genre list. It's not much but it's something. Hope you have fun reading. Thanks again.


	8. Episode 6: Cruel Dilemma

**Special Thanks:**  
  
Thanks to Trillinka and ViciousAssassin for pointing out some critical errors in my story. Usually I'm not THAT sloppy but my head was swimming when I wrote it.  
  
**Disclaimer:**  
  
Man I'm getting really tired of writing these so I'll just keep putting abridged versions of this stuff. (Don't Sue me please)

* * *

Episode 6: Cruel Dilemma  
  
Two new occupants were being introduced to the students of Kadic Junior High. The two visitors were really getting the red carpet treatment that day, the principle was so overjoyed by their arrival, that he prepared a special speech for their introduction and even called out the students to the field to see the sight. These two were special indeed, not many visitors got such a grand reception...  
  
Then again, not many visitors to the Kadic Junior High campus were composed of metal and required the consumption of gasoline to move.  
  
You see, that visitor's that the principle was so eager to show off were not even human at all. They were two machines, bulldozers to be exact. Bulldozers from the construction company hired to partake in a special building project to the school. Kadic Junior High was a very well-to-do school as it carried the same prestige and reputation as many of the respected collages in the area. Sending your child to attend classes at Kadic was a good investment in their academic future.  
  
With the school's academic record loaming over his head, the principle of the school was always constantly pushing himself to maintain its status. He ways always trying to get the best teachers, the best equipment and the best facilities for his students because only the best would do for him. He also had his own personal reasons, his daughter for one. With Sissy both attending AND living in the campus, she served as his personal motivation to keep things in tip-top shape, and this latest project that he was undertaking was all in the name of improving the school's already revered image. Whenever he would walk around the campus there was always one area of the school that put him unease, the outside field. Oh sure, it looked fine but it seamed so...so...ordinary. The principle had his own vision of what the field should look like and he had plans, BIG plans in store for this humble area and that's what drove him to set out in the construction of a school stadium. He couldn't wait to tell the students of his grand vision and that was why he called them out here today.  
  
"Hello there students, I have an important announcement to make." The principle spoke in a voice that was both bold and confident while at the same time being natural and eloquent."The bulldozers you see behind me will aid in the construction of a brand new stadium for our school." The principle saw all the student's wide-eyed stares of excitement before turning his back to them to face the vehicles that he was mentioning.  
  
"As principle of this school, I believe that it is my sworn duty to provide the best for my students and I promise you that this stadium will be one of the best sports facilities that a single school can offer." He stopped his speech temporarily to clear his throat before continuing.

* * *

"I can't believe he's doing this" Jin said in a monotone voice that was obviously the result of the boredom he was experiencing.  
  
"I know, it's like he's going to be talking all day. Doesn't he know we have lives to live and we really don't have enough time to just stand here and listen to him drag on and on about some stadium." Odd said, filling in the blanks of Jin's open-ended statement.  
  
"That too Odd but I was talking about that brown suit he always wears. Man that this is so awful. If you're going to wear a suit, make sure it's either all black or all white, those are the only colors that I will accept."  
  
"Since when did you have a fashion sense?" Ulrich asked curious about Jin's last remark.  
  
"I don't, I just know what looks good. There are two purposes to wearing a suit, to make yourself look professional, or to make yourself look like a badass."  
  
"A badass?" Ulrich replied a little unsure of the message that Jin was trying to convey. "What's so badass about wearing a suit and tie?"  
  
"Look at Dirk and Clayton. Ok I know that this is a bad example since Dirk doesn't wear a suit but he does wear formal clothing so bear with me here, ok? Have you noticed, that of the two, Dirk _looks_ more intimidating than Clayton even though he's the smaller one."  
  
"No I haven't Jin. I don't spend that much time looking at how people dress."  
  
"Ah, you'll never understand, Ulrich" Jin said folding his arms across his chest and looking away from his confused friend.  
  
"Just like how I'll never understand you" He said underneath his breath.  
  
Odd, Ulrich, Jin and Yumi stood still and patiently listened to the principle as he continued to talk with his back turned to the audience. Yumi was frustrated with the man's presentation and vocally voiced her opinion.  
  
"You would think that with all the time he's spent with his back turned, that he was giving the speech to the bulldozers instead of us."  
  
"That's it! I am officially bored right now." Odd said throwing out his own opinion.  
  
"Well you didn't have to come here." Yumi said showing Odd the error of his ways. "You could have stayed behind like what Jeremie did."  
  
"You know what, Yumi?" Odd said as his voice brightened. "That sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna pay Einstein a little visit." Odd then turned his back towards his friends and began to walk away.  
  
"Arrg, I can't take this anymore" Jin grumbled to himself. Seeing Odd walk away, he decided to take his leave too. "Yo Odd!" He called out to his friend. "Wait up!"

* * *

Odd stood in place and waited for Jin to catch up with him before resuming his walk to the dorms. Thanks to the principle, the campus was mostly empty at that moment as everyone was either outside on the field or relaxing in their rooms. Odd looked around the school grounds and finally realized how big it really was.  
  
"Man I never noticed that this place was so huge" he thought to himself. As his eyes glanced around the area and noticed that they were the only two people there. It was at that moment, Odd got an idea to help cure himself of his boredom.  
  
"Hey Jin, wanna spar?" Odd asked frankly.  
  
"WHAT?!" Jin was startled by the request. Odd just asked if he could fight him, treating the question just as casually as if he were discussing the news or checking the weather.  
  
"You heard me. You want to fight?"  
  
"Now?! Are you crazy?" Jin asked, finding Odd's suggestion rather absurd.  
  
"Check it out" Odd spun in circles to get a full three-hundred and sixty degree view of the area. "We're the only ones here."  
  
"Why are you so hell-bent with wanting to spar with me all of a sudden?" Jin asked still confused.  
  
"Ulrich and Yumi have been training me ever since I've known them but I'm afraid my skills are getting a little rusty. Sure I kick butt in Lyoko, but I want to see how I fair in the real world. Ever since you, Jeremie, Ulrich and Yumi knocked out Dirk and his gang of thugs, he's been messing with our group ever since. I just want to see if I could take him out incase we got into a fight."  
  
Jin pondered the strange request for a minute before giving Odd an answer. "Fine, you want a fight, you got a fight, but listen, I'm not going easy on you because you're my friend. I'm going to let you have it!" Jin removed his cordless headphones and set them on the floor before getting into his fighting stance."  
  
Odd responded by going into his own stance. "Now that's more like it"  
  
Jin moved his neck repeatedly back and forth and produced a slight cracking noise from the area.  
  
"What, you're not going to crack your knuckles this time?"Odd asked noticing Jin act outside his normal pattern of behavior.  
  
And thus began and intense standoff between Odd and Jin.  
  
"Now how am I going to do this?" Odd thought to himself as he thought up his strategy. "Jin is just standing there. Is he waiting for me to attack or is he just stalling?" Odd looked at Jin's face and saw that he was wearing a very casual expression. "Ok that's it I'm taking him down now!"  
  
Odd snapped out of his trance and recklessly charged Jin. He raised his left fist and threw out a quick jab. Odd soon found himself punching through air as Jin sidestepped his attack and grabbed his wrist with his left hand and placed his right hand underneath Odd's arm. Before he knew what was going on, Odd found himself being flipped over Jin's shoulder and on his back. The throw did not cause a lot of damage, but it did do a good job in knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to rethink his battle plan.  
  
"Finished yet?" Jin asked calmly as he stood over Odd.  
  
"Far from it" Odd said as he stood back up, dusting himself off in the process.  
  
Odd fired a middle kick aimed at Jin's rib cage with right leg. Jin saw the oncoming attack and lowered his left arm to block. Drawing his leg back, Odd threw out another kick, but this time it was with his left leg and it was aimed at the right side of Jin's face. Jin raised his right arm and blocked Odd's second kick which got dangerously close to his head.  
  
"Just like I wanted him to do" Odd thought to himself, hoping that Jin would defend himself from such a strike. Before Jin could place him arm back in its original position, Odd had already managed to place his left leg on the floor and used both of his legs to jump. Odd spun himself like a top in mid air to gain momentum and launched a spinning roundhouse kick with his right leg,smashing his foot into the side of Jin's jaw making him stagger backwards.  
  
"How's that?!" Odd yelled at Jin expecting him to give up after being hit by such a powerful strike.  
  
Jin stumbled over his feet trying his best to keep his balance. He was able to catch himself before he fell to the floor and rubbed the left side of his jaw where Odd struck him and noticed that his hand was slightly stained red. Blood began to trickle down Jin's mouth creating a small red river on his face. Odd looked at Jin and was horrified by the sight.  
  
"That guy took my best kick and he's even bleeding. Yet he still wants to fight?!"  
  
Jin didn't even bother to wipe his face clean as he turned to face Odd.  
  
"Nice kick" He said as his mood began to darken. "Now it's my turn."  
  
"Man, looks like the only thing that my kick succeeded in doing was pissing him off!" Odd thought to himself as he prepared for Jin's counter offensive.  
  
Jin ran at Odd and jumped high into the air, lifting his right leg over his head. He then sent his heel crashing down which struck Odd's forearm whiched he raised to block the attack. Odd's arm went wild with pain as a result but Jin wasn't done yet. Odd didn't even get a chance to breath as Jin unleashed a barrage of punches all aimed at his face. Odd used a combination of dodges and blocks to protect himself from the barrage of jabs, hooks, straights and uppercuts that Jin was throwing at him.  
  
This was no longer a friendly match, Odd soon figured out. Now, he was fighting for his life.  
  
Jin stopped his punch rush and hopped backwards to put more space in-between him and Odd before lifting his right leg from the ground and holding it in the air, like a flamingo. Jin then rushed Odd once more but instead of using his fist this time, Jin unleashed a series of lighting-quick kicks aimed at various places on Odd's body.  
  
If Odd had a hard time defending against Jin's punches, he was definitely in deep trouble when it came to his kicks. It took every once of skill and concentration that he had just to keep up with the rapid assault and avoid taking damage but he couldn't last too long. Odd's arms were getting tired from the sheer abuse that he was putting them through as the nerves in them howled out in pain. It was at that moment Jin snuck in a middle kick into Odd's left side right before drawing his foot back and striking the opposite end with the back of his heel. Odd watched Jin then perform a back handspring to create some more distance between them as he did before.  
  
"Man if Jin keeps this up, I'm going to be a goner!" Odd thought to himself in a slight panic. "I gotta break this guy's rhythm."  
  
Odd used this break Jin gave him to get another kick in. He shuffled his feet towards his target and launched his right leg forward into a side kick aimed at Jin's face, little did he know that he fell right into his ploy.  
  
Jin used his hop to bait Odd into throwing a long-range attack. "Allow the enemy to come at you first, that way you're forces will fresher for the upcoming battle" He remembered a passage in the Art of War and he now had the perfect moment to seize the momentum in the fight once more. Jin slammed himself to the floor, back first and watched Odd's kick fly right over his head. From his laying position, Jin took his right foot and kicked through Odd.s left leg, the only thing that was keeping his balance. Jin continued with the circular motion with his leg and whipped it above his head and used the force he created to spin on his head and stand up in a move that looked very similar to breakdancing.  
  
Odd fell flat on his back right after Jin knocked his leg right out from under him. He struggled to get up after getting the wind knocked out of him and soon saw Jin walk over to the side of his head. Odd stared wide-eyed as Jin raised his right leg once more and saw his right heel come crashing down onto his face to finish him off. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worse but it never came. Odd opened his eyes and saw Jin's heel hovering just inches above the bridge of his nose as if it were frozen like when Aelita deactivates a tower right before a return to the past trip. Jin pulled his heel away and extended his hand forward to help Odd up.  
  
"Man Odd, you sure gave me a run for my money back there." Jin said flashing a light-hearted smile as if the fight never happened.  
  
"Whaa?" Odd blurted out confused by Jin's sudden change in demeanor. First he looked like he was going to tear his heart out or something and now he looked like the living, breathing incarnation of Mr. Rodgers.  
  
"I said that was pretty good Odd." Jin said sounding casual as if he played a game of Go Fish with the guy.  
  
"But that fight was still yours Jin. You could have killed me back there" Odd replied regaining his senses.  
  
"It's just that you thought the fight was over once you landed that roundhouse kick on me. Damn that's gonna sting." Jin rubbed his jaw once more to illustrate his point. "Remember Odd, in a fight you're your own worse enemy. You allowed yourself to be beaten once you declared an early victory. By the way, who taught you that kick? It was really powerful."  
  
"Ulrich did."  
  
"Figures" Jin replied already knowing the answer.  
  
"What made you think that you're sister didn't teach me that move."  
  
"My sister is not that good at spinning kicks. She prefers simple hand techniques but what she REALLY loves to use are holds and throws. That's what Master Fong taught her."  
  
"Then how come you're fighting styles are so different, didn't the two of you take the same class?"  
  
"We used to" Jin's looked at the floor with downcast eyes as he thought of his life before the incident. "Until I went to America."  
  
Odd decided not to push on the subject of why Jin left his home two years ago seeing how there were some issues that he had yet to resolve.  
  
"So where did you learn how to fight Jin?" Odd asked changing the subject for the better. "You used a lot of different styles back there."  
  
"The group of friends I met in America were a strange bunch. They were very close to each other and treated one another like family. They took me in once they noticed that I was having a hard time fitting into their school, next thing you know, I was a full fledged member. They were all into martial arts and practiced different styles. At least once a week they would hold impromptu classes where they would teach each other on what they learned and well all created our own hybrid martial arts styles."  
  
"I just hope I could be just as good as Yumi and Ulrich" Odd said quietly knowing that he wasn't at the level he wished to be at.  
  
"Don't worry, you've only been training for a short while. Those two have been in the game for a LONG time but don't cut yourself out. Who knows, maybe you'll come rushing to our aid like you always do in Lyoko."  
  
Odd's eyes brightened once he heard Jin's words of advice. "Well that was fun" Odd said as he shook Jin's hand. "But I'm going to Jeremie's room now. You coming?"  
  
"Naw, I'm gonna walk around the here a little more, I'll catch up with you later."  
  
Odd walked away from Jin and disappeared into the school's doors. Jin looked around the campus to see if no one was watching him. Satisfied knowing that he was truly alone at the given moment, Jin allowed all the feelings that he was bottling up from the fight to come out.  
  
"DAMNIT ULRICH! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TEACH ODD SUCH A KILLER KICK! GOD MY JAW HURTS!" Jin yelled out complaining about his present condition.

* * *

"I'm ready to begin when you are Aelita." Jeremie said to his friend as his fingers anxiously hovered over his keyboard.  
  
"Ok Jeremie, let's begin." responded the pink-haired girl.  
  
Jeremie didn't waste a single millisecond as he struck the return key as fast as he could. His computer began to process the long list of commands that were required to materialize Aelita. As the computer executed the steps needed for such a complicated process it ran into an error. Jeremie's program still had flaws in it and he had all the time in the world to reflect on his mistakes as he stared at the giant red exclamation point being displayed on his screen.  
  
Jeremie couldn't believe it. All that hard work and for what, a crimson exclamation point. He lowered his head and placed his hands on his temples too ashamed to look at the girl that he had failed countless times.  
  
"I'm sorry Aelita for getting your hopes up only to let them come crashing down." Jeremie's voice was laced with doubt, sadness and even a little self-loathing. "Maybe I'm not cut out for such a complicated matter. I just don't know If I can do this!" He screamed out venting his frustrations and blaming himself for his shortcomings.  
  
Instead of being angry at the boy, a wave of concern washed over Aelita. There was Jeremie, one of her closest friends, practically beating himself up over his mistakes. There was no way she could be angry at him, not after seeing all the good he was capable of. Jeremie had spent many sleepless nights in his room painstakingly crafting every singly code for her materialization. She calculated in the past week he spent working on the program, Jeremie had only gotten about twenty-eight hours of sleep. That was four hours a night. On many occasions, Aelita would see Jeremie typing on his computer with heavy bags underneath his eyelids and would just fell asleep at his desk when he got too tired to go on, using his keyboard as a crud pillow. Why even this morning, Jeremie was hard at work, missing both breakfast and lunch to stay in his room to work and only relied on a simple bag of candy to provide himself with enough nourishment to get through the day. It was just physically impossible for Aelita to be mad at Jeremie, when he invested so much time and energy towards her and asked for nothing in return. The least she could do was let him know that she appreciated his efforts.  
  
"It's ok Jeremie. You've obviously are a very gifted individual when it comes to computers. Don't let one set back discourage you, if you stop now then for sure you'll never succeed. I just don't want to see you like this, I care for you as much as you care for me." Aelita surprised herself when she said the last part. She never really meant to say it. She just got caught up in the moment and just blurted it out but then again, it wasn't something that she was ashamed of saying.  
  
Aelita's serene voice flowed into Jeremie's ears instantly relaxing the overworked boy putting him at ease with himself.  
  
"I really needed a the pep talk like that Aelita."  
  
"No problem" She smiled back at him warmly causing his cheeks to redden.  
  
"I'm going out for a walk to clear my head. Maybe then I could find out what went wrong with my program. Goodbye and Aelita, thank you." Although Jeremie said the last part softly it spoke volumes to the girl that it was addressed to.

* * *

Odd climbed the building stares still hazy about what just happened moments ago.  
  
"I almost DIED back there! Jin could has easily killed me if he wanted to." Odd thought to himself. "Maybe he's a lot more serious person than he lets on." Odd rubbed his arms and the sides of his ribs which were still aching after receiving so many high impact attacks. He was happy that Jin did not hold up his end of the bargain for he did held back a lot. He was lucky to walk away from the fight almost unscathed. He'd never seen Jin so angry before. Odd could recall the look he had in his eyes, Jin was mad, that was for sure but those attacks were precise and calculated, and were not blindly thrown out like a caged animal. He was in complete control of himself and only used his rage to sharpen his moves and not let it consume him. Odd gave up his analysis of Jin's personality. It was like what he told Yumi the last time they were at the gate, Jin was one in a million and a strange one to boot. Even if he believed in reincarnation, Odd figured out that he would not live enough lifetimes to finally under stand the walking paradox know as Jin Ishiyama. How could someone so bright, childlike and goofy could harbor so much rage and be capable of so much destruction.  
  
While Odd was lost in thought, his legs were able to subconsciously guide him to Jeremie's room. Seeing that he was at his desired destination, he grabbed the doorknob with one had and twisted it to gain entry to the dorm.  
  
"Hey Jeremie what's up?" Odd greeted the empty room. Odd noticed that his work station was still in use as the computer on and he saw several letters and numbers scroll past his screen.  
  
Obviously this was a foreign concept for Odd.  
  
"Must one of Jeremie's materialization projects" Odd said out loud. However, there was something on Jeremie's desk that he did understand and he truly enjoyed.  
  
"OH YEAH, CANDY!" Odd yelled in celebration as he greedily took the blue bag into his hand, spilling the little pieces of strawberry hard candy all over Jeremie's keyboard.  
  
"Now this is something I can get into" Odd proclaimed as he began to ingest the tiny morsels one by one.

* * *

"_I care for you as much as you care for me_"  
  
Those words stuck to Jeremie as he roamed the hallways trying to think straight. He wished at that moment he had a tape recorder so he could forever save those eleven words and play them over and over again. Aelita wasn't mad at him for failing so many times. In fact, all of these shortcomings had only strengthened their already close relationship that they already had. A huge smile began to form on Jeremie's lips when he realized that. Now he was more determined than ever to get that materialization program up and running. He just couldn't stand another moment of not working and ran to his room, eager to get down to business.

* * *

"Strawberry isn't exactly my favorite flavor of candy but then again beggars can't be choosers." Odd said as he continued to eat the contents of the bag.  
  
"ODD!" Jeremie yelled from the room's doorway at the sight. "What are you doing in my room?! I've got important stuff to do."  
  
"Whoa chill out Jeremie, I just came here cause I was bored. I didn't mess with your little program if that's what you were worried about.  
  
Jeremie walked over to his computer to inspect the damages himself and saw little bits of candy all over his keyboard.  
  
"You're such a cosmic creep Odd, there's candy all over the place. You could have damaged my computer, these keys are really sensitive you know!"  
  
"Relax man, I didn't break your little toy" Odd said trying to calm Jeremie down.  
  
Jeremie looked at his screen and began to see all the errors that were made by Odd but found the exact opposite....he had managed to do the impossible. Odd actually improved Jeremie's program.  
  
Jeremie looked at his screen in disbelief. "This is insane!" he yelled out scrolling through the commands to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him from the lack of sleep. "When the candies fell on the keyboard they must have hit a bunch of keys in the right order and made all the corrections for me!" Jeremie couldn't control himself as he eagerly hit the enter key and watched his screen on the edge of his seat and finally saw the sight he was hoping for, a green plus sign.  
  
"Odd you're a genius, my program actually works thanks to you!"  
  
"So wait, am I a creep or a genius?" Odd asked not knowing heads or tails what to make of Jeremi's remark just now.  
  
"You're a creepy genius, now let me use the computer real quick."  
  
Jeremie barged right by Odd and connected with Aelita once more.  
  
"Oh Aelita, guess what?" He said being playful with the girl.  
  
"What is it Jeremie?"  
  
"Odd and I got the program to work!"  
  
"You mean..."  
  
"Yep, we can materialized you right now."  
  
"Do you mean it Jeremie?!" Aelita was excited for the sudden break through and was finally going to be brought into the real world.  
  
"Yep so get ready now. I'll contact Yumi, Ulrich and Jin and tell them about the good news."  
  
Yumi and Ulrich both climbed the building's staircase as they walked to Jeremie's room.

* * *

"So what did Jeremie say?" Ulrich asked not knowing why his friend would call such a sudden meeting.  
  
"Beats me, all he said was to meet him in his room." Yumi said trying her best to recall Jeremie's message.  
  
"Does Jin know about this?"  
  
"Don't you remember Ulrich, he went to Jeremie's room along with Odd, of course he knows that there's a meeting."  
  
The two friends entered the room and found Odd sitting on the bed and Jeremie happily talking to Aelita.  
  
"Man what's gotten into Jeremie? I've never seen him so happy. It's like he just materialized Aelita and is just dying to tell us the news." Yumi said sarcastically.  
  
"You hit the nail on the head with that guess." Odd said still in his sitting position.  
  
"WHAT!?" The two said at the same time.  
  
"Did I stutter or something?" Odd asked using his own sense of sarcasm.  
  
"If I heard your correctly, you said Jeremie had found a way to materialize Aelita." Ulrich said as his head was swimming from the mere shock his revelation.  
  
"That I did."  
  
"WHAT?!" Yumi and Ulrich screamed once again.  
  
"Yep Einstein finally got it right, with a little help from me of course. He's going to bring her here right now."  
  
"Wait, right now?!" Yumi asked concerned that Jeremie might be rushing things a little too quickly than they were meant to be. "We need to talk before we proceed with this thing any further."  
  
Jeremie turned around in his chair and finally noticed the fact that Ulrich and Yumi were in his room.  
  
"Oh hi guys, I finally..."  
  
"We know Jeremie, Odd told us" Ulrich said flatly as he began to share Yumi's concern.  
  
"Well I'm going to materialize Aelita right now. What do you think?"  
  
"I think you shouldn't do this right now. Jeremie you have to...."  
  
Yumi was interrupted by Jin as he opened Jeremie's door and slid into the room.  
  
"Cosmo Kramer, eat your heart out" Jin thought to himself as he copied the character's trademark entrance from the old ninety's sitcom Seignfeild. He turned his head to face his friends and spoke out loud. "Who shouldn't do what in the what where?" Jin asked curious of the current topic of the conversation.  
  
"Who shouldn't do what in the what where?" Odd repeated Jin's previous question. "What the heck does that mean? You are a weird person you know that?"  
  
Yumi turned her head to face her brother and made a startling discovery. "ANIKI, YOU'RE BLEEDING!" Yumi yelled noticing the small stream of blood running down the side of Jin's lip.  
  
"Huh?" Jin asked confused on why his sister would react so strangely until remembered he was slightly injured. "Oh yeah I am bleeding." Jin didn't even bother to wipe the blood from his face as he casually took a seat in Jeremie's room.  
  
"How did you get hurt Jin?" Ulrich asked wondering how a guy could get hurt by just walking to another student's dorm.  
  
Jin looked at Odd from across the room and gave him a smug look before answering his sister's question.  
  
"I was running over here and I tripped and fell on my face...again."  
  
"Geez Jin" Ulrich commented on Jin's accident. "Remind me to get you a helmet for your birthday. Keep this up and you'll kill yourself before you turn sixteen."  
  
"So would somebody please tell me what's going on? I kinda missed all the big important news when I was walking here."  
  
"I found a way to materialize Aelita." Jeremie said whose joy held no bounds.  
  
"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Fortunately for the rest of the people in the dorm, Jin finally got the idea that having a small line of blood hanging down your lip was pretty creepy so he wiped it off with one of Jeremie's tissues.

"Are you saying that Jeremie's program finally works?"  
  
"Yep and I'm going to bring her to Earth right now." Jeremie said still excited.  
  
"Hold it Jeremie I think you should wait. Its too early to be doing this." Yumi said addressing her concerns.  
  
"What do you mean too early. Everything is ready, the scanners are running, the program is working. Yumi, we only have one shot at this so lets get it over with. Why do we need to wait? Everything is fine."  
  
"Yeah inside your head" Ulrich retorted. "Did you ever once think what you'll do when Aelita gets here. She needs a place to stay and she needs to be enrolled in this school and she needs a family. We need to give her an identity so she could live with others and not arouse suspicion."  
  
Odd then began to add on to Ulrich's explanation. "Yeah think of it Jeremie the only thing she could say for an introduction is. "Hi my name is Aelita, I just came from a virtual world." That's a sure fire way for her to get thrown in the nut house."  
  
"Ah don't worry guys she won't be alone in that particular scenario." Jin said slyly. "Just think what will happen if Jeremie's tries to explain her true origins."  
  
Jin cleared his throat and attempted to do his best impression of Jeremie, which sounded pretty good for his first time. "Well you see, Aelita is our virtual friend in a parallel world called Lyoko. Along with my friends, we help stop XANA from destroying mankind. The reason why you don't know all of this is because we reset time after ever attack wiping your memories clean of the incident."  
  
Jin the began to speak in his normal tone of voice. "You guys see how crazy that sounded and that was the truth. Don't worry Jeremie" He said while patting his friend on the back. " I'm sure those nice people at the asylum will give you a nice, comfy, padded cell right next to your princess."  
  
"The point is Jeremie" Yumi said trying to bring the conversation back to it's original focus. "Is that we need to make preparations for her here on Earth. Once we find a place for her to stay, get her enrolled in this school and all the other stuff she needs, then you can materialize her. But in the meantime, you'll just have to wait."  
  
Aelita was the next one to speak. "Yumi is right Jeremie, materializing me is a pretty big step. We should make all the necessary preparations before I come over there. Besides, it wouldn't hurt if I were to stay virtualized for one more day."  
  
The sudden reality of the situation finally dawned upon Jeremie as Aelita helped him see that. He was going WAY too fast.  
  
"Thanks guys, my head wasn't on straight a few moments ago."  
  
"So what so we do then?" Jin asked still confused.  
  
"Well I'll try my best to come up with an identity for Aelita while the rest of you start thinking of things to give her to make her life here more bearable. We'll get started on that first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, we should head back to class, the principle should almost be done with his speech right now. Let's try to put this behind us and just focus on the day."  
  
"Sounds good enough for me." Ulrich said as he exited the room.

* * *

Focus on the rest of the day and wait till tomorrow? What the heck was he thinking? Jeremie tossed and turned underneath his bed sheets as his restless body demanded that he would go to sleep in which he flat out refused to do. Those were the only two things he couldn't do at that time. Jeremie struggled to get through his studies and behave like a good students but that proved to be almost impossible for him. He just could not stop thinking about Aelita. Every unoccupied desk he would see in class, he would picture Aelita patiently sitting in it looking dead ahead at the board. Every sight that the school had to offer, he could imagine Aelita right by his side asking him what their significance was to his world. Every emotion he experienced that day he could see Aelita's puzzled, innocent look as she tried to make sense of life as a living breathing human. There were so many thoughts he had running through his mind. He had to do something with all of this pent-up energy and he knew just how to spend it...  
  
By talking to Aelita.  
  
Jeremie quietly got up from his bed as not to alert anyone who might be standing outside his door before sitting in his chair and turning on his computer.  
  
"Hello Aelita, are you awake?"  
  
"Of course I am Jeremie, virtual programs don't need sleep." Aelita could tell by Jeremie's sudden change in wardrobe and the tired look in his eyes that it already night time on Earth.  
  
"I'm just excited about your materialization, I can hardly sleep a wink right now."  
  
"I know I am too Jeremie there are so many things in Earth I want to experience. Just think of all the possibilities. We can be in the same room together and see each other eye to eye without having a computer screen be in our way. We could finally touch each other and even kiss."  
  
Aelita was not aware of the effects that her words had on the young boy.  
  
"Yeah ...that's...real...nice Aelita" Jeremie stammered trying to maintain his natural composer in front of the girl but failed miserably once his cheeks started to redden. However, there was one thing he wanted to get off his chest ever since they last spoke this afternoon. Since he couldn't get any sleep right now, Jeremie figured that he might as well tell her right here, right now.  
  
"Aelita, when you said that you cared for me as much as I cared for you, did you really mean it?" Jeremie asked wanting to dispel any doubts he had before he continued.  
  
"Of course Jeremie, why would I not mean it. You're a very thoughtful and trustful person Jeremie and there is no way that I could think of to pay you back for all the warmth and kindness that you have shown me ever since we met."  
  
"Well Aelita, I have something to tell you too." Jeremie took in a deep breath, he was past the point of no return, he might as well get it over with. "I care for you too Aelita, I care for you a lot. I'm not just trying to materialize you so that we could finally end our war against XANA but also because I've got to known you a lot better than before. You have always been there to cheer me up and you never seemed to care that I would always contact you at random periods of time. I'm glad that we know both of each other and me materializing you is just my way of showing you that I truly enjoy your companionship. I know it's a roundabout way of saying things Aelita, but let me just say thank you, thank you for allowing me to be your friend Aelita."  
  
There he finally said it, it wasn't a profession of his undying love to the girl. That he wasn't quite ready for. With XANA running lose all over the city and the daily challenges that come with being the best student at his school, he just wasn't ready to start a serious relationship with someone...at least not yet. He just wanted to tell her that he cherished all the time they spent together. Jeremie looked up at his computer screen and saw Aelita give him a warm smile, her own unique way of saying "you're welcome". Jeremie let out a sigh of relief once he realized how easy that really was and that his attempt did not crash and burn like he feared.  
  
"So what else do you want to talk about?" Aelita asked showing more iinterest in the world that she would soon inhabit.

* * *

Kadic Junior High's two latest visitors had yet to leave the campus. The two large bulldozers still stood in their original position in the middle of the soccer field and were just calling out to be used in further construction of the school's stadium.  
  
However, someone else had plans of a different sort, plans that involved the opposite of what the bulldozers intended to do, plans that involved destruction.  
  
A black shadow soon stalked the field and forced its way into the bulldozer's doors, gaining access to it's desired target, the automated controls on the dashboard. The bulldozers soon sprung to life and were ready for their reign of chaos.

* * *

This had been the third vehicle related attack it commenced since he gain possession of the automated bus but now things were different. The two previous attacks were too indirect for its liking. It was time it tried something new, something a little more aggressive. This time, it was going to take the fight close to home...very close to home.

* * *

"Well you're going to have to collect your information about our planet a little differently than you do on Lyoko."  
  
"What do you mean Jeremie?" Aelita asked still in awe of thinking of all the sights she will see in the near future.  
  
"Well in Lyoko you could just assimilate all the knowledge you want by just coming in contact with a tower since you are a computer program but on Earth you have to gather information about the environment with your senses."  
  
"Senses?" Aelita asked eager to learn more.  
  
"Senses are certain stimulates your body receivers to gain information about your surroundings. Right now you only have two senses, sight and hearing."  
  
"I'm aware of those two Jeremie. Sight is when I pick up visual cues while hearing is when I pick up audio ones."  
  
"That's correct Aelita."  
  
"What about the other three?"  
  
"Well first there's taste, that sense is primarily done with your mouth. Whenever you put something inside of it, you get a sensation. This sense is most closely connected to eating."  
  
"Why would a human want to taste things Jeremie?"  
  
"It's a survival mechanism. Whenever someone would eat something that could potentially kill them, like poison, or food that's been spoiled, the offending object usually has an unpleasant taste and prompts the person to eject the foul food from his mouth."  
  
"I understand now Jeremie, what about the other two."  
  
"Well the other two senses are smell and touch. Smell involves the use of your nose and works similar to taste. Smell detects an objects distinct odor and can also serve as a defense mechanism from hostile substances since they usually carry a putrid aroma. Touch is a little complicated to understand given your special background Aelita. It's when you get tiny sensations from your fingertips when ever they come across something."  
  
Aelita thought she felt a strange presence outside and momentarily shifted her focus away from Jeremie.  
  
"There are so many things your going to experience there. All the new, sights sounds and..."  
  
Aelita felt a dark, evil feeling wash over her.  
  
"Jeremie I think XANA has just awoken!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Jeremie yelled, not caring who he woke up now. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, I can sense that he's awake."  
  
"Fine, I'll wake up Ulrich and Odd, you stay put in Lyoko until I send them over."

* * *

Jin was sent flying through the air and came crashing down in a nearby pile of leaves. All of his attempts to gain the upper hand against his opponent were futile, he was just too good for him there was no way he could win. Jin slowly stood up and extended his hand for a hearty handshake.  
  
"Damn Odd, you are really good. Maybe you should teach me how to fight like that sometime?"  
  
"Right after I finish with Yumi and Ulrich, those two have been begging me for lessons for mounts now."  
  
"I can see why Odd, you're the best"  
  
They say humans dream for two reason. It was either to bring up subconscious thoughts that the individual was not aware of, or to just satisfy wishful thinking.  
  
Guess which category Odd's dream fell under.  
  
It's not that Odd, hated the fact that Jin won the fight they had this morning. That was a well obtained victory that Jin seized and it only because of his mistakes that he was able to do so. It's just that he wished that he was a better fighter that's all. He wanted to be as useful in a real fight as he was in a fight in Lyoko and Jin showed him that he still had a long way to go. Odd continued to snore loudly in his sleep and he interacted with the many people in his dream, but he was about to make a quick departure from dreamland, compliments of his friend Jeremie.  
  
It was a good thing that Odd and Ulrich did not lock their doors as Jeremie was now able to barge into their room unannounced.  
  
"GET UP YOU TWO, XANA IS ATTACKING!" Jeremie yelled out after a performing a sudden entrance that would have made Jin give him a standing ovation. He was already dressed in his school clothes and was pumped up on adrenaline.  
  
"Huh, what about carpet tacking?" Odd asking, mishearing the words as he slowly got up from his bed.  
  
Ulrich too was roused from his slumber. The beam of light that seeped through the door shot across his eyes causing him to wake and, like Odd, he wasn't able to get Jeremie's full message.  
  
"What did you say Jeremie?" Ulrich asked now fully awake. He sat up in his bed and removed two small objects from his ears.  
  
"I SAID WE HAVE A XANA ATTACK!" Jeremie screamed at the top of his lungs. Ulrich and Odd wouldn't have been surprised if the whole floor was woken up.  
  
Odd finally noticed that Ulrich wore earplugs to bed and decided to ask about them. "Do you always wear those things when you go to bed?"  
  
"Yeah I do and maybe in the near future I'll tell you why." Ulrich said pointing an accusing finger at him.  
  
"Well then let's head to the factory!" Jeremie said as the adrenaline continued to flow through his body.  
  
"I can you wait?" Ulrich asked dryly.  
  
"What do you mean wait?! We have a XANA attack here! This is an emergency we have to head to the factory NOW!"  
  
"I would love to, but let's just say that Odd and I don't exactly meet the dress code"  
  
"What do you mea..." Jeremie halted his question once he finally got the clue what Ulrich was hinting at for all this time. Unlike him, Ulrich and Odd did not have the luxury of having the time to change their clothes. There was no way they were going to go outside dressed in their sleep wear.  
  
"Fine them, meet me outside the building when you're ready." Jeremie said no more and bolted out of the room.  
  
Odd walked over to his dresser and pulled out his familiar purple outfit. "A Lyoko battle" he thought to himself. "At least I can kick some major butt there."

* * *

Jermeie had to hand it to Odd and Ulrich, they came outside sooner than he expected.  
  
"So Jeremie, what exactly is XANA up to?" Ulrich asked.  
  
"To tell you the truth, I don't know. I only figured out that XANA activated a tower was because Aelita told me so."  
  
Odd looked uneasily ahead as he stared at the school's field.  
  
"Jeremie, what can you tell me about bulldozers?" Odd asked calmly.  
  
"Well they're large vehicles used to move away debris."  
  
"So if a bulldozer were to suddenly drive on its own and start moving in a particular path, that wouldn't be normal. Correct?"  
  
"No it wouldn't Odd. Why do you ask?" Jeremie replied a little frustrated on why Odd would choose this moment to talk about construction equipment.  
  
"Because the bulldozers I see ahead right now are doing just that!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Jeremie and Ulrich turned to where Odd was facing and saw the horrific sight. The two bulldozers that were formally parked in the field were now going on a rampage. Knocking down whatever was in their way.  
  
"Ok Jeremie listen up" Ulrich said as he gave him the rundown of what he was planning. "You head to the factory and contact Yumi and Jin. Odd and I will stay back and try to stop those monsters. Let's go!"  
  
Jeremie gave a nod towards Ulrich and made his way to the factory. Ulrich then focused on the bulldozers and saw that they stopped their destruction in the field and were driving away from the school.  
  
"Ok Odd, I'll take the one in the front. You go for the one in the back!"  
  
Because of technological limitations, the top speed of an average bulldozer was not that fast making it an easy target to catch even at its top speed. Ulrich and Odd opened the vehicles doors and began to do whatever they could to try to shut the bulldozers off. Every button was pressed, every switch was pulled but nothing worked. Seeing the futility in their efforts, Ulrich opened the door and stuck his head out to attract Odd's attention.  
  
"Odd this is useless!" He yelled out to his friend. "Head to the factory now. I'm going to stay behind and see what XANA has in store for these machines!"  
  
Odd complied with his friend's request and hopped out of the bulldozer and ran to the factory. Ulrich closed his door once more and heard a click from it. Ulrich wondered what it meant and twisted the door handle once more, only for it to be stuck.  
  
He was trapped.

* * *

Sleep was a foreign concept for XANA but it was an activity relished by Yumi, this was soon cut short by a cell phone ringing. Yumi reached over on her windowsill and felt around the area until her hand came across the ringing object before placing it next to her ear. All of this was done while she was laying down and still wrapped in her blanket.  
  
"Jeremie, why are you calling me so late?" Yumi asked groggily knowing full well who the caller was.  
  
"Yumi, XANA has launched an attack. He's gained control of two bulldozers and is wreaking havoc around the school. Ulrich and Odd decided to stay behind to try to stop them. We need you here now!"  
  
Hearing the words XANA, attack and havoc made Yumi forget how tired she really was.  
  
"Ok Jeremie, I'll be there."  
  
"And don't forget about Jin. We need all the help we can get."  
  
"Don't worry I won't and besides I don't think Jin would be so willing to sit this one out."  
  
Yumi stood up from her bed and got dressed in a heartbeat before making her way to Jin's room.

* * *

Jin's room was a lot more decorated than his sisters. His night stand was littered with various books that he was reading along with his CD player and the pair of "fake" headphones he wore in case he didn't want to carry his player around. His wall was adorned with several Chinese weapons such as tonfas, bo staffs and nunchackus, all of these he had been trained in and can wield them with expert proficiency, thanks to the efforts of Master Fong. Right next to them was a picture of Jin's martial arts idol, Jackie Chan. Sometimes Yumi could see Jin as a younger version of him, being goofy and lovable while at the same time defeating his enemies. However, Yumi had no more time for moments of introspection like this. She had an older brother to wake up. Yumi walked over to Jin's sleeping form and saw him lying soundly on his back. She had only placed her palm on Jin's shoulder and was about to shake him when all of a sudden, he shot straight up from his lying position and had his eyes wide open.  
  
"Yumi, for what reason may I ask that you are in my room at such a late hour?" Jin asked his sister politely about her intrusion.  
  
Yumi was a little less calm about his sudden awakening. "How did you...I mean..." She stuttered, still surprised after seeing how fast her brother woke up.  
  
"Remember sis, I'm a light sleeper. It's very easy for me to wake up and stay awake after that."  
  
"XANA has activated another tower Jin, we gotta go."  
  
Jin responded by slipping the covers off of his body and placed both of his feet on the floor. Unlike Ulrich and Odd, Jin's sleep wear was a lot more modest. Jin wore a long sleeves black shirt with the Chinese character of fire embroidered on the back in red and a pair of black fleece pants with a red stripe running along the side of it.  
  
"Just let me get a new set of clothes sis." Jin said calmly.  
  
Yumi exited the room to giver her brother his privacy. Once the door closed, Jin quickly changed out of his current outfit into his school clothes. He then placed both of his arms into the black sleeves of his jacket before he made his way to his night stand. Knowing that he was in for a rough night, Jin grabbed his "fake" headphones and placed it around his ears and looked at the picture that was near it.  
  
"Wish me luck" Jin said to the photograph of the thirteen year old boy before he stepped out his room.  
  
"Are you ready Aniki?" Yumi asked her brother.  
  
"Not yet" Jin answered back perplexing his sister even more. He then turned his head to his left arm and rolled up the sleeve that was covering it, moving the fabric up until it was at his shoulder, exposing the red shirt her wore underneath it.  
  
"Now I'm ready sis. Let's rock!"

* * *

Jeremie heard the elevator doors open and he stuck his head out to greet his latest visitors.  
  
"It's about time you got here Odd and Ulrich." Jeremie scanned the elevator and saw that Odd was by himself. "Where's Ulrich?"  
  
"He stayed behind to see where those bulldozers were going."  
  
"I've already contacted Yumi, she'll be here shortly along with Jin. Now to find out where that tower is."  
  
Jeremie brought up the world map on Lyoko and ran a scan through all the areas.  
  
"Bingo, the tower is in the forest region."  
  
Suddenly Ulrich's cell phone was displayed on the computer screen.  
  
"Interested in a status report Jeremie?"  
  
"Ulrich where are you?"  
  
"The bulldozers have taken me to the docks and guess what familiar building is nearby."  
  
"OH NO THE FACTORY!" Jeremie realized. "Ulrich this is serious, we need you here right now."  
  
"I'd love to Jeremie, but XANA has locked the doors. Look I'll be there any minute but I'm not promising a graceful entrance.  
  
Odd and Jeremie felt a violent crash resulting from the bulldozers forcing their way into the factory.  
  
"XANA is out to destroy our computers. No more computers, no more Aelita." Jeremie said worryingly as he figured out XANA's intentions for the night.  
  
"Hey don't forget about the scanner Jeremie. If XANA wreaks those then our access to Lyoko would be cut off."

* * *

Now this was not in the plan. It had never intended to capture the boy, it just happened. Oh well, this was a most fortunate turn of events. Just look at him, talking to his friends right now and totally oblivious to the danger he was now in. This was its time, its time to take care of one of its meddling enemies once and for all.

* * *

Ulrich never really hung up on Jeremie and was still connected to him. "Listen Jeremie I can't help you guys right now. I'm stuck in this thing."  
  
Ulrich did not see the iron support beam that was drawing ever so closer nearby.  
  
The bulldozer then rammed itself into the iron beam, spilling debris all over the factory floor and some on the catwalk. Ulrich was caught completely off guard as the momentum form the crash threw him forwards and slammed the side of his head against the bulldozer's dashboard instantly knocking him out.

* * *

"AHH!" Came Ulrich's voice over the computer's speakers and sent alarm bells ringing in Odd and Jeremie's heads.  
  
"ULRICH! ULRICH COME IN! ARE YOU OK?!" Jermremie screamed frantically trying to find out the present condition of his friend. "We lost contact with him, this is serious Odd."  
  
"I'll head to the scanner room then."  
  
"Jeremie watched through his camera Odd take the elevator down and slowly stepped into one of the scanners.  
  
"Transfer Odd"  
  
Odd's body was covered in an almost angelic light as the scanners hummed loudly.  
  
"Scanner Odd" Jeremie watched a 3D outline of Odd's body as it slowly began to form on his computer screen showing that he was now ready for the next step.  
  
"Virtualization!"

* * *

Odd was determined to see this fight through. His best friend was in danger along with their access to Lyoko and their main method of contact with Aelita. Odd readied his wrist and prepared to shoot at the first thing he encountered. Odd then saw a shape move in the corner of his eye, and in one fluid motion, Odd turned around and pointed his wrist and the intruder. However, Odd didn't fire his weapon, for this enemy was strangely...pink?!  
  
"You're looking awfully stressed out right now Odd" Aelita said placing her hands on her hips, not caring of the fact that Odd had almost shot her."  
  
"Oh it's just you Aelita. Yeah I am a little on edge right now so I got to stay on my toes, anything can happen."  
  
"Well then, let's head to the tower. It's straight ahead."  
  
Odd and Aelita ran as fast as they could through the forest region until they ran into a three-way fork in the road.  
  
"Don't worry about the fork in the road Odd" Aelita said confidently. "As long as we follow the pulsations we'll never get lost."  
  
"I wasn't stopping because of the fork, I was stopping for the roaches." Odd was able to spot three roachsters that were right in front of him.  
  
"That's strange" Aelita said more puzzled than frightened. "Usually roachsters attack in groups of five."  
  
Suddenly two more roachsters appeared behind them, blocking their escape route.  
  
"As much as I like a good fight Aelita, this will prove to be a little tricky for me."

Odd turned his head away from the girl he needed to protech and faced the roachsters that he need to destroy.

"Now which one of you wants to go first?" Odd asked, taunting the enemies before him.  
  
Odd waited for the enemy to begin the battle. The roaches behind him fired first causing him to turn around and shift his attention away from the tower. Odd did a series of sideways handsprings all while dodging the oncoming lasers. Odd was soon hit in the chest but quickly recovered and fired at the nearest roachster sending it to an early grave however his fight was far from over. Odd made one critical error when he evaded the roachsters's attack as he left Aelita completely unguarded. He quickly rushed to her slide by performing a baseball slide and aimed his wrist at another unlucky monster.  
  
"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired the small dart at the roachster that was giving him grief and was happy so see it explode in a nice shower of sparks and pieces of scrap metal. The surviving three roaches that were guarding the tower gave him no time to celebrate as they shot Odd in the back sending his lifepoint count to a dangerously low level.

* * *

To say the least, Odd did not look like he was going to emerge victorious from this battle.  
  
"Odd, chill out!" Jeremie screamed, trying his best to get his friend to focus. "There are still three enemies in front of you. You have to hold on until the others arrive or else Aelita will be an easy target for them!"  
  
"That's kinda hard to do right now Jeremie! You better send some help down here now! I don't know how much longer I can last."  
  
"Yumi and Jin should be here shortly, just try not to get yourself killed back there."  
  
"I'll try Jeremie, but I'm not making any promises."  
  
Yumi was slightly behind her brother as the two ran down the street towards the docks. She looked ahead and saw Jin placed his headphones around his neck and pull out his cell phone.  
  
"Jeremie, how are things looking at the factory?"  
  
Jeremie was relieved to hear the sound of Jin's voicing, meaning that he and his sister will be there any moment to lend their assistance. "Not good, not good at all. Odd is alone in Lyoko with Aelita and has only twenty lifepoints left. XANA has sent the bulldozers into the factory to try to destroy the computer and the scanners, thus ending our contacts with Aelita and Ulrich is trapped in one of the bulldozers and I lost all contact with him!"  
  
Out of all the disasters Jin heard, only one of them struck a deep cord within him. "Ulrich is trapped?!" Jim said in shock now concerned if his friend was safe. Now things were going to get real ugly since a human life was now in danger.  
  
"ULRICH IS IN DANGER?!" Yumi repeated behind him, hearing the grim news.  
  
Jin regained his composer before speaking again. "Ok Jeremie, Yumi and I'll are fast approaching the factory's window. We'll see what we can do about Ulrich then we'll head over to Lyoko. Just remember this my friend, it always looks the darkest before dawn. We will see this through safely, we just gotta keep fighting." Jin didn't bother to hear Jeremie's response as he hung up his cell phone. He arrived at the large window and stared at the two bulldozers driving aimlessly around.  
  
"This will not be easy" Jin grumbled to himself as he saw his sister stand by his side.  
  
"ANIKI LOOK!" Yumi was able to spot Ulrich's dangling arm, hanging limply outside of the bulldozer's side window.  
  
"Looks like he's knocked out. Ok Yumi we need a plan. Yumi? Yumi what are you..."  
  
"Don't worry Ulrich, I'll coming!"  
  
Yumi wasted no time in grabbing the rope and swinging towards the bulldozer that held her friend captive as she charge headlong into the situation without discussing a plan with her brother. She saw Ulrich's unconscious form lying inside the bulldozer but had now way of gaining accesses to him. The side windows were too small for her to fit through and the door was still locked. The only entrance she had was in the giant glass barrier that was before her but that window was still in perfect condition, blocking her rescue.  
  
"JIN, I CAN'T GET TO ULRICH. THERE'S A GIANT WINDOW IN THE WAY!"  
  
Jin looked to his side and spotted a reasonably large steel pipe that was jarred lose when the bulldozer stuck the factory's support beam. He quickly grasped it and swung to the bulldoze, landing right beside his sister.  
  
"Ok Yumi stand back!" Jin commanded as he lifted the iron rod over his head.  
  
"KIYA!" He screamed as he swung the pipe as if it were a baseball bat with all of his strength. He was able to crack the gigantic window in front of him. Yumi watched as several fault lines ran through the pane of glass as the formed a spider web-like pattern. Seeing that the window was still in tact, Jin readied himself for another swing.  
  
"WAIT ANIKI, STOP!" Yumi ordered, worrying about Ulrich's safety.  
  
"What is it Yumi?" Jin asked wondering what the problem was.  
  
"If you hit that window with the pipe then you'll shatter the whole thing into a million pieces that could slice through Ulrich. You have to find a way to break the glass that would minimize the number of shards that go his way.  
  
Yumi was right, another swing from his pipe would do exactly that. Jin needed to use something else but his options were limited. The bulldozer was still moving so he couldn't hold his balance too well on it to unleash some of his more powerful kicks. There was only one option left for him but it wasm't pretty, but it was the only way he could help Ulrich.  
  
"Yumi" Jin spoke seriously once more. "This is going to hurt me a lot, but if it means saving Ulrich, then I'd gladly do it again if I had to."  
  
"What do you mean Aniki?" Yumi asked not knowing what her brother meant when he said that but Jin didn't answer her verbally. She watched her older brother rear back his right fist and sent it barreling towards the end of the window that was furthest from Ulrich.  
  
"NO!" Yumi screamed as it finally dawned on her what Jin was intending to do. Jin's fist smashed into the already weakened glass sending a few glass shards his way and succeeded in making a moderately-sized hole in it. The glass shards danced around his hand cutting it in several areas. Jin winced in pain but continued his attack knowing that Ulrich's life was on the line. He drew his fist back once more and struck a different area of the glass and tried his best to minimize the amount of fragments that were coming at Ulrich. More glass shardes pierced his soft skin amplifying his pain even more.  
  
"This is the final blow!" Jin yelled out as he sent his fist flying for a THIRD time at the glass and was finally able to make a hole wide enough for Yumi to enter the bulldozer and carry Ulrich out.  
  
"Let's get him out of here!' Yumi screamed as both her and her brother draped the unconscious boy's arms on their shoulders and proceeded to hop off the bulldozer. Jin and Yumi's movements were perfectly synchronized as each step was perfectly timed thus allowing their escape to the far end of the factory where they gently let Ulrich down to get a closer inspection of him.  
  
"Ok let's get a look at him." Jin said as he let his right arm dangle by his side limply while he clutched his shoulder.  
  
Yumi knelt down to get a closer inspection of Ulrich's body and noticed right away that the side of his head was slightly bleeding.  
  
"Aniki Ulrich is injured!" Yumi said, concerned. However, Ulrich was not the only one who was damaged that night. Yumi turned to her brother and saw that he was trying his best to hold back the pain in his right arm. Blood dripped from the side of Jin's hand while she saw the tiny glass fragments that were embeded into his flesh.  
  
"Aniki, your injured too!"  
  
"I'm fine sis, it's Ulrich that I'm worried about." Jin said trying his best to divert her attention away from his own suffering.  
  
"Ulrich is bleeding" Yumi watched Jin cringe after hearing those words and thought that he was in pain.  
  
"Aniki are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine." Jin clutched his right shoulder tightly to help himself deal with the throbbing ache that his hand was giving him. "It's just that I'm afraid of blood."  
  
"What?!" Yumi asked confused this being the first time she heard about his fear.  
  
"That's right sis, I'm a hemophobic. Whenever I see someone else bleed or injured I kinda take a step back but it's not too bad, I can easily overcome it." Jin decided to change the topic of the conversation. "Ok sis what should we do now?"  
  
"I'm going to stay behind while you get to Lyoko."  
  
"ARE YOU CRAZY?! THOSE BULLDOZERS ARE OUT TO GET YOU!" Jin said as his protective instincts began to kick in.  
  
"Listen Aniki, ever since you got here, you've been risking your life just to protect me and the group and you're always rewarded by nearly getting yourself killed. Even right now, I bet your hand is hurting like crazy but you're acting like nothing is wrong."  
  
Jin bowed down his head because he knew that deep down inside, his sister was telling the truth.  
  
"Please Jin, let me handle this. You've made enough sacrifices for one night. Now it's my turn to see what I'm made of. There's a secret entrance nearby in the floor, use it to gain access to the computer room. I'll try to bring Ulrich there as soon as I can."  
  
Jin could see the eagerness in his sister's eyes and walked away from her. He found the passage that Yumi indicated and stepped inside the shaft but not before saying some last words to his sister.  
  
"Yumi, please. Take care of yourself" and with that Jin disappeared into the night leaving Yumi alone with Ulrich.

* * *

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired three more arrows at the roachsters which all missed their intended targets.  
  
"Uh oh" Odd said as he watched the roaches charge up the lasers for yet another attack.  
  
"Man, I just can't seem to win today can I?"

* * *

Jeremie watched Odd try his best to hold onto the remaining lifepoints he had in order for him to stay in Lyoko until heard a very loud noise from the front of his computer.  
  
THUD!  
  
Jin had decided to jump off from a low rafter and landed in the computer in his patented "Hero Crouch" as he lifted his right hand from the floor, Jeremie noticed a strange red mark that was left behind where his hand once was.  
  
"Need some help?" Jin asked casually.  
  
"Thank goodness that you're..." Jeremie looked at a small red puddle that was being formed right underneath Jin's arm.  
  
"Jin your hand!" Jermie said alarmed as he noticed that it was heavily bleeding.  
  
"Oh you mean this thing?" Jin said as he held up the bloody apendage. "Yeah, sucks doesn't it."  
  
"I'll get the first-aid kit!"  
  
"Save it for Ulrich, he's in worse shape than me. I have to get into Lyoko right now!"  
  
"Are you crazy?! You're hand it's..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah Jeremie, tell me something I don't know for a change. I can plainly see that my hand is a bloody mess but I don't care right now. Just get me to Lyoko pronto!"  
  
The sheer determination that Jin had in his voice was stunning. "Ok you win."  
  
Jin made his way to the scanners, leaving behind a small blood trail. He removed his headphones and stepped into the scanner.  
  
"Scanner Jin. Transfer Jin"  
  
Jin wondered how he was going to fair in Lyoko with his right hand injured like this, looks like he was going to find this out the hard way.  
  
"Virtualization!"

* * *

"Ok you roaches, I've had it up to here with your cheap tricks!" Odd called out determined to defeat them. Just then he got another flash vision. In it he saw Yumi, who was virtualized in Lyoko, falling from a cliff into the abyss below.  
  
"Not now!" Odd thought as the vision ended. "Why did I have to get one at that moment?"  
  
Odd was completely open for another barrage of fire as he felt three more laser hit him in the chest.  
  
"ODD" Aelita screamed as he watched his body fade away in Lyoko leaving her at the mercy of the three roachsters.

* * *

Odd didn't care that he was tired right now. All he cared about was if Aelita was going to be safe or not. He quickly ran out of the scanner room and road the elevator to see what was going on in Lyoko right now.  
  
"I'm sorry Jeremie, I did the best I could do but now Aelita has no one to protect her from those monsters!" Odd said in dispair.  
  
"Don't worry, I've already sent Jin into Lyoko."  
  
"But he's so far away, there is no way he can get there before the monsters finish Aelita off."  
  
"Oh don't worry Odd, you'll see what nasty surprises he has in store for them." Jeremie said with a slight grin.

* * *

Aelita had no where to run or hide. This area of the forest offered very little in terms of cover. She slowly backed away from the roaches as they charged their lasers once more, ready to take her out in a moments notice. When it seam all was lost, Aelita heard a faint voice in the distance.

* * *

The individual didn't reach into his shirt this time, but instead pulled his hands behind his back to get his weapon of choice before firing. "Bullet Barrage!"  
  
Suddenly Aelita saw all three roachsters explode as if they were hit by a single shot but when she turned around, she saw no one nearby.

* * *

"WHAT THE?!" Odd exclaimed as he watched as all three enemies were defeated. "Did you program a new attack for Aelita?"  
  
"Nope, that was Jin."  
  
"Wait a minute, Jin's pistols can't shoot THAT far. Plus you even said yourself that he needed to hit a monster twice before he could defeat it and I heard three shots, not six."  
  
Jermeie brought up a small menu on his screen and displayed a picture for Odd to see.  
  
"Odd, meet the second feature that Jin carries around."  
  
Odd stared at the picture in amazement.  
  
"No way" he whispered to himself.

* * *

"Sorry it took me so long but I had to take care of a friend first." Jin said as he casually walked up to Aelita.  
  
"How did you take them out so fast and at such a great distance?" Aelita asked curious on how Jin accomplished the feat.  
  
"With this." Jin held up a large black black gun with a bayonet attached to the end of the barrel and a scope fixed to the top. "Looks like in came in real handy today huh?"

* * *

"A SNIPER RIFLE?!" Odd said in disbelief once more.  
  
"Yep"  
  
"Are you telling me that Jin has TWO sets of weapons at his disposal?"  
  
"That's about right Odd, but like I said, we had to make some MAJOR sacrificers to make room for this. For one, ever noticed how Jin' always arrives on Lyoko unarmed?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"That's because he does not arrive there with a weapon. The program I gave him gives him his weapon depending where he reaches for it. If his hands go into his shirt, then the program will give him his twin pistols. If he reaches behind his back, then he will draw out the sniper rifle. Once he selects his weapon, there is no way he could ever switch it again so he has to use his best judgment to pick the best gun depending on the battle conditions that arise."  
  
"Let me guess, the rifle stinks in close combat too huh?"  
  
"That's right, however, unlike his pistols, the rifle can actually destroy the monsters in one hit as long as he hits the XANA symbol. It's only flaw is that he can't shoot it in rapid burst like he can with his pistols. The only way he could accomplish that is if activates his power but he can only lock onto three enemies. I added that bayonet at the end as a last resort, but it's very weak. Let's just hope he doesn't have to use it."  
  
Odd finally noticed the red splotches of blood that littered the floor. "Jeremie, what happened here?!"  
  
"I don't exactly know. All I could conclude was that Jin injured his right had for it was bleeding but he still insisted on going into Lyoko."  
  
"Man, talk about dedication. Let's just hope that's the only sacrifice he have to make tonight."

* * *

"So where's the tower Aelita?"  
  
"It's down there" Aelita said pointing towards the general direction.  
  
"Hmm, let me see." Jin raised his rifle and scanned the path ahead of him. The tower was on the other side of a doughnut shaped path where the walkway was in a circular motion with a gigantic gap in the middle. Soon he felt three searing sensations right into his back, knocking him down and landing on his right hand.  
  
"AHH!" Jin screamed out as he stared at his hand, it was covered with several slash marks of various sizes and shapes. His injury carried over to him in Lyoko but the pain wasn't so bad thanks to Jeremie's program.  
  
"Looks like we have some more unwelcome guest to deal with" Jin said as he raised his rifle once more. "Aelita, get behind me! I'll take care of this."  
  
"Jin be careful. You have only forty lifepoints left." Jeremie warned him through his communicator.  
  
Jin got the drop on the enemies by firing the first shot at the leftmost roach, striking it in the middle of the XAAN symbol. Knowing that he couldn't wait for another opportunity to fire again, he ran up to the next nearest roach and raised his rifle high in the air so that he could slash it. The roach took the smart way out and fired it's laser at Jin's injured hand forcing him to remove it from his gun and to only swing with the aid of one arm. Despite his handicap, Jin managed to successfully dispose of the annoying roachster before setting his sights on his last opponent. He was too tired for another swing as the battle and the pain in his right hand proved to be too tiring for him. Using a less demanding attack, Jin ran up to the roach and gave it a vicious soccer kick which sent it flying into a nearby tree.  
  
"That was easy enough. Ok Aelita, let's deactivate that tower."  
  
Jin had just repeated the same mistake that Odd committed when they first fought that morning. He too had just declared an early victory for himself and just like how Odd lost the match because of his errors. Jin would also receive a similar consequence.

* * *

"Hey Jeremie, can you give me a hand here?" Yumi called out from the top of the rafters above the computers room.  
  
Odd took one good look at Ulrich and saw that he was indeed in bad shape. "You go get the first-aid kit Jeremie, I'll help Yumi with Ulrich."  
  
Odd climbed the ladder and with Yumi's help, were able to prop his body against the wall. Jeremie soon returned with the first-aid kit and began dressing the wound near Ulrich's temple.  
  
"It doesn't look that bad. He'll be fine once he wakes up."  
  
"I'm going to Lyoko to help Jin out." Yumi said determined to end this attack once and for all as she boarded the elevator.

* * *

Yumi starred at the small puddle of blood that Jin left behind just moments ago when he boarded the elevator.  
  
"He didn't even bother to get his wound dressed." She thought to herself. "Looks like he's still beating himself up after what happened to him two years ago."  
  
The elevator doors opened and Yumi stepped into the scanner, all while eyeing Jin's slightly blood-covered headphones.  
  
"Transfer Yumi. Scanner Yumi."  
  
Yumi clenched her fist and prepared herself for the challenges she was about to face in Lyoko.  
  
"Virtualization"

* * *

Yumi landed in Lyoko in a crouch and drew her hand before running towards Jin and Aelita. She arrived to her destination and saw the two walking away from a immobilized roach. Just then, the roach slowly got up and charged its laser. Jin turned to face it and covered Aelita with his body while aiming his rifle at the enemy once more. The roach proved to be faster this time as it shot him in the chest, ending his existence on Lyoko.  
  
"NOOO!" Yumi screamed out as she leapt into the air and threw her fan which sliced the roach in two.  
  
"Thank goodness you're here Yumi" Aelita said joyfully.  
  
"No time for that now. We have a tower to deactivate."

* * *

Odd saw Yumi and Aelita running down a narrow pathway which suddenly triggered his memory.  
  
"MY FLASH VISION!" Odd said remembering the tragic sight he saw just before he was devirtualized.  
  
"What did you see Odd?" Jeremie asked, curious of the sight.  
  
"Well I saw Yumi running down this pathway and then I see her falling into the abyss."  
  
"WHAT?!" Jin's voice boomed across the factory as he stepped out from the elevator and made his way to the first-aid kit. He then removed a large gauze roll and proceeded to wrap it around his still bleeding hand making himself a very curde bandage. "Did you say that my sister is going to fall off that ledge?!"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"BUT THAT WOULD MAKE HER VIRTUAIZED FOREVER! I'M GOING BACK THERE NOW!" Jin screamed out in a frenzied panic as he thought about the potential death in store for his sister.  
  
"Jin you can't. Once you've been divirtualized, it takes at least twelve hours for your character to reform in Lyoko."  
  
"DAMNIT!" Jin cursed out loud at his failure to be more careful in Lyoko. "There's gotta be someone here who can stop this from happening!"  
  
"I'll go" Ulrich said as he recovered from his unconsciousness.  
  
"Ulrich are your crazy?! Just look at yourself!" Jeremie said worryingly.  
  
Jeremie had every right to be concerned. Ulrich had seen better days. His head had a gash in it which only recently, Jeremie was able to patch up. He also had several small cuts on his arms resulting from the flying pieces of glass that came at him. However, those cuts could have been worse if Jin continued to use the pipe instead of using his fist.  
  
"Do we have a choice Jeremie? I can see that both Jin and Odd have been devirtualized and that only leaves me to stop this disaster from happening. Now will somebody help me to the scanners?"  
  
Both Odd and Jin lifted Ulrich onto their shoulders and helped carry him to the elevator and later the scanners. Before Ulrich stepped inside, Jin had something to tell him.  
  
"Please Ulrich, for Yumi's sake."  
  
Ulrich flashed Jin a thumbs up sign before the scanner doors closed on him.

* * *

Yumi watched from the left side of the round walkway Aelita make her way to the tower. Suddenly the Earth beneath her began to shake. It wasn't the usual pulsation that XANA sends out, since they always have a steady rhythm. This rumbling was more constant and consistent. Yumi looked behind her and saw Mega Tank rolling towards her direction. The tank completely ignored Yumi as it comfortably stopped right next to her and aimed it's giant cannon at Aelita. Yumi had no way of destroying it. Thanks to narrow walkway, all directions that she could attack from were blocked, but if she were to just stand aside and do nothing, the tank would surely kill Aelita....  
  
It was time for her to take some drastic actions.  
  
Yumi threw herself at the Mega Tank and knocked it off the cliff. However, she tackled it too hard and soon found herself tumbling over the walkway. Yumi quickly grabbed onto the ledge and held on for dear life just when Aelita made her way into the tower and walked up to the computer screen to imputed the necessary commands needed to deactivate the tower.  
  
AELITA

* * *

"Hold on Yumi, I'm sending in Ulrich. He'll help you!" Jeremie yelled into his headset trying his best to keep the girl hopeful. "Ok Ulrich are you ready? Transfer Ulrich. Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization!"  
  
Ulrich hit the ground and started running at full speed towards Yumi not wasting a single second.

* * *

Yumi couldn't hold on much longer. She knew Ulrich would come for her as she dangled precariously from the ledge. She had to stay focused.

* * *

CODE

* * *

Ulrich was now running as fast as he could. Every single once of energy he had left in his body was now being put to use in rocketing himself to help save Yumi Ulrich saw Yumi's fingertips along side of the ledge but they soon disappeared along with the rest of Yumi.  
  
"NO!" Ulrich called out to the girl as he saw her fall into the abyss below.

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

Nothing happened after that. Jeremie didn't say his trademark line, Odd didn't jump up and down in excitement and Jin didn't perform any celebration dance moves. All was quiet. All was still. All of this was done in mourning of their friend Yumi. The white light circled the group and brought them back to the past but one member short.

* * *

Ulrich leaned back against the wall and bowed his head down in agony. How could he have been so sloppy? How could he let Yumi fall into the void? He let her down. However, there was someone a little closer to him that he was afraid of facing too, and that was her older brother.  
  
Ulrich expected the worst treatment possible from Jin. He was so protective of her as he was with everyone else he knew. Ulrich looked up and saw Jin placed his recently-healed right hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Thanks" Jin said quietly.  
  
"Thanks?!" Ulrich thought confused by his words. He just lost his sister and he was thanking him now.  
  
"Thanks, for trying to rescue my sister. You risked your life back there by going into Lyoko after sustaining so many injuries and you tried your best and for that I thank you." Jin's voice lacked any fire or emotion what so ever as it sounded flat and hallow...  
  
To Ulrich, Jin's voice sounded as if he himself died at that moment  
  
"Don't thank me Jin, I failed you. I failed Yumi!" Ulrich cried out of despair. "If you want to hit me in the face right now I wouldn't mind. I deserve it." Ulrich was consumed with guilt for his failure and felt a need to be punished.  
  
Both Odd and Jeremie looked up at the discussion and wondered what exactly would Jin do, until Odd saw Jin's eyes. Once again they were filled with rage and a burning anger just like when he landed his spinning roundhouse kick on Jin's jaw. Ulrich didn't even flinch when he saw him draw his hand back and sent it speeding towards his face. He closed his eyes to brace himself for the pain, but felt nothing. He turned his looked to the side and saw Jin's fist fly past his head and punch the wall nearby.  
  
"Hitting you will serve no good Ulrich" Jin said calmly as his anger gave way to sadness. "Besides, my sister would really hate it if I were to hurt you. Look it was all of our faults that night, if we were all more careful, then none of this would have happened but if you want to blame someone, blame me."  
  
The rest of the group was shocked upon hearing this. Aside from Ulrich, Jin was the second person who made some serious sacrifices that night.  
  
"I promised that this wouldn't happen again and now look. MY SISTER IS GONE FOR GOOD!" Jin ran up to another nearby wall and slammed his fist into it once more, keeping it in place as tears began to fall from his eyes.  
  
"I just wish we could materialize Yumi like we could with Aelita." Odd said wishfully.  
  
Jeremie heard Odd's remark and soon his eyes began to fill up with hope. "THAT'S IT ODD! MY PROGRAM!"  
  
Jin and Ulrich heard the excitement in Jeremie's voice and ran to his side to see what the big deal was.  
  
"I can use the program that we modified yesterday to materialize Yumi, but I can only choose one person, Yumi or Aelita." Jeremie said as he was now faced with a tough decision.  
  
"CHOOSE YUMI!" Jin yelled out as he wanted to see his sister once more.  
  
Jeremie had a tough decision to make. Yumi and Aelita were both his close friends he had to choose one of the girls. Jeremie hated this choice, it was like he was playing God, getting to decide on who lives and who dies.  
  
"Jeremie, I think you should materialize Yumi." Aelita suggested. "She's already a part of your world. She has friends and family that will miss her dearly and I don't even exist on Earth."  
  
Jeremie bowed his head and felt a single tear escape from his eyes. He had come so close into brining her into the real world only to have that opportunity taken away from him thanks to XANA. Slowly he selected Yumi and began his program. The four friends stared at the 3D outline of Yumi's body and were at their wit's end hoping that the program would work. The instant they saw the green plus sign they boarded the elevator.

* * *

Bright. That was the first thought that entered her head as the scanners opened. Everything was bright. Yumi eye's began to focus on the four beings in front of her.  
  
"Welcome back Yumi" Odd said casually as if nothing happened.  
  
"Huh? Where am I?"  
  
"Welcome back Yumi. We missed you on Lyoko." Odd said once more.  
  
The group was too busy celebrating Yumi's return, that they didn't notice Jermeie ride the elevator to the top of the factory.  
  
Yumi stepped out of the scanners and suddenly felt a body wrap around her. Her first thought it was Jin hugging her thinking that he was happy to have her back she looked down and was in for a surprise.  
  
"Ulrich?!"  
  
"It's great to have you back Yumi. Ulrich said happily as their episode in Lyoko was finally over."The whole scene proved to be too much for him. All the pain, all the sadness instantly melted away and was now replaced by joy. Boundless unbinding joy which expressed as a warm hug. Ulrich soon realized the compromising position he was in and quickly let go of his embrace.  
  
"See Yumi, you share more similarities with me than you think." Jin said while taking is turn to hug his sister.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Did you suddenly lose your memory Yumi?" Jin said jokingly, "First you jump onto a moving bulldozer without a battle plan, pull someone out of a vehicle by yourself and to top it all off, throw yourself headlong into the jaws of death. You really are my sister!"  
  
"Oh be quiet Aniki?' Yumi said not wanting to believe his statement. She then noticed that there was someone missing from this celebration.  
  
"Where's Jeremie?" She asked.  
  
"Jeremie had to use his materialization program to bring you back but he looked pretty bummed out." Ulrich answered.  
  
"Wow, Jeremie was willing to give up materializing Aelita in order to save me. We all need to thank him."

* * *

"I did the right thing" Jeremie said to himself for the fiftieth time in a row while he was walking out of the sewer. He knew he made the right decision, but still. If everything was back to normal, why did it hurt so much? Jeremie knew the answer, it was because everything was normal, and normalness did not include a materialized Aelita in his life. He was not going to see her in the flesh anytime soon and this fact sadden him even further.  
  
"You know, candy can fix anything. Even a broken heart." Jeremie turned towards the sound of Yumi's voice and saw her extend a small blue bag towards him.  
  
"I can't thank you enough for saving my sister from the virtual void." Jin said as he slowly emerged on the opposite end followed closely by Odd and Ulrich.  
  
Slowly but surely, Jeremie was feeling a little more better about his choice as he began to smile.  
  
"Now come one everyone group hug!" Odd examined as everyone began to circle round one another and held each other affectionately.  
  
Jeremie looked up at Yumi once more and began to speak. "Yumi that has got to be one of the lamest lines I've ever heard you use to cheer someone up....Thanks."  
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking**  
  
Well I don't have too much to say to my readers right there, since there haven't been any questions or concerns circling around here. First off, I FINALLY HAVE A WEBSITE! Yep, you can find it underneath my profile, I posted the link there. Basically I just link to my stories using but I'm now able to post up all the fan art you've been sending me. Pretty soon, I'll have a "staff" page where I will show all the people who have been contributing to my fic.  
  
Now fALLEN ANGLE, a new reader to the retelling series, has brought up an interesting question. If Yumi calls Jin Aniki, how come she doesn't use similar titles for her parents. The answer is simple really, Yumi doesn't use the name Aniki in the tradition way. Jin is only older than her by three minutes and twenty-two seconds. Usually Aniki is a formal title given to an older brother. Yumi uses it as a stand alone name. Notice that in the fic, she calls him Jin sometimes. Aniki is just her nickname for him just how Jin calls her sis most of the time. They're using these titles as just simple nicknames.  
  
Now for some author wishful thinking. I think the HIGHEST honor that I could receive is that if Antefilms calls me up and says that they would like to make a character based off of Jin and make him a regular on the show. Of course, they would ask me to do the voice but then again that's just a fantasy. Oh well.

* * *

**Outtakes**  
  
Odd walked away from Jin and disappeared into the school's doors. Jin looked around the campus to see if no one was watching him. Satisfied knowing that he was truly alone at the given moment, Jin allowed all the feelings that he was bottling up from the fight to come out.  
  
"DAMNIT ULRICH! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TEACH ODD SUCH A KILLER KICK! GOD MY JAW HURTS!" Jin yelled out complaining about his present condition soon Jin got a killer idea of his own as he made his way to the field.  
  
Jin found Ulrich talking to Yumi and gently tapped his shoulder.  
  
"Hey Ulrich, did you teach Odd how to do a jumping round-house kick?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
POW!  
  
"Damn that felt good"

* * *

Ulrich struggled with the door but it would not budge one inch.  
  
"Ulrich, we need you down here right now!"  
  
"I can't Jeremie, I keep pulling this door but it just won't budge!"  
  
It took Jeremie an entire three seconds to figure out what was going on here.  
  
"Did you trying PUSHING the door Ulrich?"  
  
Ulrich pressed his hand against the door and pushed it. The door offered no resistance as it swung open on its hinges.  
  
"Oops"  
  
"Why did I choose to work with these people?!" Jeremie cried out to the heavens.

* * *

"Thanks Ulrich" Jin said quietly  
  
"Thanks?!" Ulrich thought confused, he just lost his sister and he was thanking him now.  
  
"Now that my sister is gone I can finally get her room, it's WAY bigger than mine. TOUCHDOWN! BOOYA BABY!"  
  
Ulrich began to wonder if Jin really did care for his sister after all.  
  
"It's great to have you back Yumi. Ulrich said happily as their episode in Lyoko was finally over."The whole scene proved to be too much for him. All the pain, all the sadness instantly melted away and was now replaced by joy. Boundless unbinding joy which expressed as a warm hug. "Oh by the way, Jin said if you didn't return he was going to take your room."  
  
Yumi's flared up with anger as she approached her brother.  
  
"JIN!"  
  
"Aw crap"  
  
POW!  
  
"Damn that felt good!" Yumi said while kissing her fist.

* * *

Odd sat at Jeremie's computer with a bag of candy in his hands. He looked back at Jeremie who was holding a notepad and was painstaingly jotting down notes.  
  
"Do we have to keep doing this?" Odd wined to Jeremie.  
  
"Not until we get this right. Now begin."  
  
Odd opened the bag of candy and spilt it on the keyboard. Jeremie walked over to the computer screen and checked his program.  
  
"Attempt number three-hundred and fifty two failed. Now preparing attempt number three-hundred and fifty three."  
  
"Why me!?" Odd called out as he grabbed another bag of candy from the huge stack that Jeremie bought.

* * *

**Words from the Author**  
  
Well first we need to celebrate a giant milestone here people. Code Lyoko: A Retelling has finally reached over 100,00 words (random party sounds can be heard in the background) but in all seriousness here folks you guys are the only reason why I continue to write since you guys show that you care about this series. I think this chapter differs greatly from the previous one for that it's a lot more serious and emotional while Big Bug was light-hearted and funny. The only thing harder than writing a fight scene is writing a WAFF (warms and fuzzy feelings) scene between a guy and a girl. I hope you guys really liked the scenes I wrote with Jeremie and Aelita.  
  
Also another way I made this fic more emotional was by having the characters suffere through a lot more here and acutally show thier physically injuries. I really tried to play off of the desperation that the characters had in the original episode and made it seem like this was a life and death choice. I'm just a little worried with all the blood I have in this chapter, do you guys think I have to change my rating to PG-13 because of it, or do you think it's just fine. Thanks again now I'm going to be writing another fan favorite episode "Image Problem". I'm gonna do some a little different with it. Don't worry, everything will be the same, I'm just gonna make a little G-Force inspired tweak. Hehe, how's THAT for a cliffhanger.  
  
Ok now to Jin's last "modification". I decided to give Jin a second weapon since the pistols didn't offer much combat wise. I planed this out a LONG time ago and I made sure that this weapon wasn't overpowered also. I felt that Jin needed a good "Killing Weapon" so I gave him the sniper rifle so he could actually take out the monsters easily but I also made sure to give it a lot of draw backs. Well thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review.  
  
Finally, I hope all the Odd fans out there are happy seeing now that I revealed that Odd too knows martial arts and he did Jin a run for his money. Now the ENTIRE L-Team is capable of kicking butt both in and out of Lyoko. 


	9. Episode 7: Image Problem

**Disclaimer:**

No cash, no payoff. Please go somewhere else for your paychecks Antefilms.

**Special Thanks:**

To all my readers who made this all possible.

* * *

Episode 7: Image Problem 

_Hello there, my name is Jin Ishiyama. I'm fourteen years old and am a student of Kadic Junior High. I'm a pretty average student with a close knit circle of friends that my twin sister help introduce me to them, but that's not what I'm here to talk about today._

_You see, I'm about to die._

_No, I'm not some drama causing, angst loving teenager that's about to commit suicide. Ok, maybe I should be more specific so I can eliminate all the confusion._

_I'm about to be killed._

_That's a lot better, well maybe explanation wise but not situation. You know how they say that right before you die, you see your entire life flash before you're eyes? Well looks like my parents forgot to pay for that plan cause I can only remember the events before this. So why am I telling you this, I don't know. I just thought that maybe you would like to listen. Now this story that I'm going to tell you may seem a little strange, heck you might even think I'm crazy. I can either inform you or entertain you depending if you think I'm telling the truth or not. Honestly, I don't give a damn if you shelve my story in either the autobiography section or the fiction area I'm going to die here so I don't really care about what you think as long as I get my story out. If you must know, I'm dangling off the side of a manhole cover and I am about to plummet to my immediate death. Now I'll try my best to recall the events of the day that lead me here so yeah this will be one giant flashback. Believe me, the flashback is not my favorite medium to tell a story but then again I don't have a choice here now do I? If I had my way, I'd type my story out and post it on some sort of story website but that doesn't matter now since I'm going to die. Forgive my rambling, but it is hard to keep your concentration when you are trying your best not to lose your grip with your arch enemy hanging on one of your legs. Don't believe, go piss some random stranger off and have him hold onto your leg while you dangle over a ledge. Well that's not importat now is it? Might as well start from the beginning._

* * *

"...and that's when he jumped in the air and kicked me in the side of my jaw," Jin continued with his commentary with his fight with Odd a week ago. 

"So that's why your lip was bleeding when you came into Jeremie's room. Man Aniki I think your fighting abilities are getting rusty."

"Rusty?! Me rusty?! You must be joking. Haven't you seen me fight? It's like poetry in motion."

"More like a disaster waiting to happen."

Soon the two siblings saw Odd and Ulrich at their usual meeting spot. While Yumi waved to them hello, Jin decided to cut the formalities and cut right to the chase.

"YOU!" Jin yelled out as he pointed at Ulrich and walked over to him.

"Yes?" Ulrich said confused not knowing what Jin was accusing him of.

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TEACH ODD THAT KICK?!"

"Oh yeah, that's a pretty coolmove huh?" Ulrich said nonchalantly. "Odd told me about the match you two had a week ago. Jin, I think you're getting rusty."

"I AM NOT RUSTY!"

Odd couldn't help but laugh at Jin's plight as his fighting abilities were being picked apart.

"Hey guys, don't pick apart Jin like that. Remember, he's developing his own fighting style." Odd said in his defense.

"Thank you!" Jin said loudly seeing how he now had an ally in this discussion.

"And what style would that be?" Ulrich asked, sensing that his best friend would crack a joke any minute now.

"Falling On Your Face Fu" Ulrich and Yumi soon joined in with Odd and together, the three friends produced a giant roar of laughter.

"Yeah Odd I agree with you full-heartedly." Yumi said while looking at her brother. "If that was a real fighting style, Jin would be the grandmaster by age ten."

Jin was being a good sport about the whole thing. He wasn't planning on getting his revenge at Odd or thinking of his own way to humiliate his friends. In fact, he too was laughing at the all the jokes being cracked about him. This soon got some strange stares from his friends.

"Dude Jin what gives? Why are you laughing? You're the one being insulted."

"Cause I know it's true. Look guys if you can't make fun of yourself, then you'll never understand true comedy."

"So what's on the agenda today?" Jin asked seeing how the group just got their recommended dose of laughter for the day.

"Nothing much, just school as usual." Ulrich replied.

"In this day and age Ulrich, that could be considered as a blessing." Yumi said thinking about her time spent in the virtual abyss.

"Tell me about it" Jin commented. "Minus the electrical build-up incident and the bus. I've been seriously wounded in almost all the previous attacks."

"Just like how you got wounded right after I kicked you?" Odd said jokingly once more.

"Aw man, now you're just taking a cheep shot."

* * *

While Jin only had to worry about his friends picking on him outside. Jeremie had to contend with problems that were a little more serious. 

"So Aelita you said that you had something to tell me." Jeremie said after establishing his connection with the girl.

"Jeremie, XANA is doing something strange with a tower in the polar region."

"Is he activating it?" Jeremei asked automatically assuming the worst.

"No he's not, but it's still worrying me. There are two blocks near it."

Jeremie still didn't see what the problem was. "You know that monster's frequently inhabit Lyoko that doesn't sound so unusual."

"Yes that is true, but these two blocks have been circling the tower nonstop as if they were guarding something."

"Let me check it out Aelita."

Jeremie brought up a display of the tower that Aelita was mentioning and began scanning it himself.

"Incase your interested, I'm near the tower right now but the monsters don't know that I'm nearby, so what do you see?" Aelita asked, curious of Jeremie's findings.

Jeremie brought up the display of the tower and saw two red marks patrolling the nearby area around the tower.

"Now this is strange indeed. The tower is not activated but why are those two blocks near it?"

"Do you think XANA is trying something new with a maneuver like this?"

"I really don't know Aelita but this might spell potential trouble in the long run. We better get the rest of the team informed. I don't like the looks of this at all."

Jeremie left the display of the suspicious tower on his computer and pulled out his cell phone to contact the rest of his friends.

* * *

Things quieted down after the group's discussion concerning Jin's fighting abilities. 

"But there's something I just don't get," Odd said thinking out loud. "I didn't kick you that hard and yet you did walk away slightly injured. What gives?"

"The answer is simple Odd. Ever looked at your shoes?"

"What's wrong with my shoes?"

"WHY DO YOUR SHOES HAVE TO BE SO DAMN HEAVY! YOU ALMOST TOOK MY JAW OUT WITH THAT KICK!"

Well almost quiet.

Odd finally realized where that extra strength for his kick really came from. "Oh yeah, momentum. Did I really kick you that hard?"

"I WAS BLEEDING WASN'T I?"

Fortunately for Jin Yumi's cell phone rang and thus prevented any attempts to reenact the infamous match between Jin and Odd.

"What's that Jeremie?" The group watched her nod not knowing what she was talking about. "Ok, we'll be right there," Yumi turned off her cell phone before placing it in her backpack to get it out of the way.

"Jeremie called, he says he wants to speak to us."

"Is it urgent?" Jin asked knowing full well if Jeremie decided to call a meeting, the reason for it would not be good.

"That's the strange thing Aniki. It's not. Jeremie just wanted to speak to us."

"Well I'm going, sure beats standing outside here all day and having my fighting style being made fun of."

* * *

Jeremie sat at his computer and racked his brain for an answer for the meaning of this peculiar tower. His thoughts were soon disturbed by a series of voices coming from outside his door. 

"And now Ulrich, for a trip to the Swiss Alps and A BRAND NEW CAR! What is the subject of today's meeting?" Odd's voice came in as he used his best game show announcer voice.

"Great Odd, not only did you steal my entrance when XANA flooded the school with gas but now you're going to take some of my material too? Aiya!" Jin's voice soon followed after venting his grief on Odd's lack of creativity. "I swear to God, if I find a copy of The Art of War in your room I'm going think that you're out to steal my identity."

Odd carefully chose his counter to Jin's statement while he opened the door to Jeremie's room.

"If that's the case, let's just take it one step further." He said as he stepped into the dorm.

"And how are you going to do that Odd?" Yumi asked. "You got most of his personality quirks down to a science. What else are you missing?"

"This," Odd pretended to fall face first on the floor and caused another roar of laughter from the entire group, Jin included.

Jeremie waited for everything to settle down before he reported his findings. "Ok guys I've called you here so you can see this." Jeremie drew everyone's attention towards his computer which displayed the tower."

"Yes Jeremie that's a tower," Jin said sarcastically, " We know what it looks like, we can identify our objects. We all passed kindergarten, I hope."

"Ok Jin if you're so smart, tell us why there are two blocks guarding the area when XANA has yet to activate it?"

Jin was at a loss for an answer, "Ummm...maybe XANA wanted a nice seat by the ocean and those blocks are holding his spot for him?"

"I'd give you a eight on creativity and humor but a zero on actual correctness."

"HEY!" Jin said slightly offended. "Only an eight in humor and a...a...what number was my correctness rated again?"

Jeremie let out a small sigh knowing that humoring Jin was not the most ideal way he could think of to pass the time. He had to get his message across to the team. "Ok guys look, to tell you the truth, I don't know what XANA is up to right now."

"HA! Then maybe my answer could be the correct one!" Jin yelled in triumph.

"JIN!" The rest of the group yelled back hoping that he could take the hint that he should be quiet.

"So what's the big deal here Jeremie?" Ulrich asked now concerned with the sight before him.

"XANA is obviously guarding something that's rather important. Aelita says she's near the tower in question and I think we should gather more information on this."

"Well we should head to class now." Jin said calmly. "We don't want to raise anymore suspicion on what's going on. If those blocks are still there, then will discuss further course of action during our lunch hour."

"Wow Jin, that was the first logical thing you said all day," Odd said in amazement. "Don't let it get to your head."

"Aiya"

* * *

_Confused aren't you? Well you should be. If you think my story is getting weird now, just wait till all the crap hits the fan and then we'll talk. I think I said it before but incase you forgot here it is. I don't know why I'm telling you this or even why your bothering to listen. Ok I admit, I do sound a little to brash and uncaring for a person that's about to die but just hear me out. Please, just please, listen to my words. I want to dispel any doubts on how or why I'm in this predicament. XANA, blocks, Lyoko, all just foreign words to you. I still don't know what's going to happen now, I'm just waiting for my turn to get off the carousel of life._

* * *

Odd leaned back in his chair and watched the second hand on the clock tick by drawing him ever closer to his lunch hour. Mrs. Hertz's class was just as boring as it always was for the young boy. Physics never really did spark his interest. They had just finished their unit test which Odd had to somewhat struggle to finish while Ulrich found it moderately difficult. Of course Jeremie was the first one to complete the test and was busy hacking away at his laptop so he could keep a close tab on the two blocks and their mysterious patrolling of an inactivated tower. 

"This doesn't make any sense," Jeremie thought to himself. "Why would XANA go through all this trouble to guard one tower?" Jeremie's thoughts were cut off as the school bell rang signaling the end of class and the beginning of lunch.

"So Jeremie, are those blocks still there?" Ulrich asked quietly as not to raise any suspicion from the likes of Sissi and her group, or even worse Dirk and Clayton.

"Yes they are Ulrich and for the entire period of time that I was watching them, they haven't stopped once."Jeremie asked, not surprised by the boy's sudden entrance.

"Kinda reminds me of when Kiwi chases his own tail. That dog can keep itself entertained hours on end."

"Well we should meet with the others now. Looks like we have to take action."

* * *

The three boys arrived at the cafeteria and were the first one's to grabbed their lunch trays. They walked over to their usual table and already found Yumi and Jin already seated eating their food in silence. Yumi patiently ate at her meal while Jin appeared to be done. Judging by the rhythmic tapping his finger, he was currently listening to one of his songs on his CD player. 

"Glad you can make it," Yumi said cheerfully. Jin noticed his friends standing in front of his sister and removed his headphones allowing him to listen to the conversation.

"Ok Jeremie, what's the situation at the polar region?" Jin asked still maintaining the clam demeanor he previously had when they were in Jeremie's room.

Jeremie soon sat down along with Odd and Ulrich at their table Jeremie cleared his throat and began his answer but Odd beat him to it.

"Tower's off, blocks still walking."

"Thanks for the abridged version. Now what do we do?"

"Well Aelita mentioned that she was near the tower. I'm was thinking about having her check what's inside."

"Then let's get going then." Odd said ready for action.

"Wait!" Jeremie said sharply to quell his friend's enthusiasm. "Let's look at the facts first. Obviously, if XANA has posted two only two blocks there, then the area is lightly guarded."

"What if he's setting us up for an ambush?" Jin asked thinking of all the possible tactics XANA could pull.

"I've already taken that into consideration, According to Aelita and the scans I ran across a few minutes ago, those blocks are the only two enemies there."

"Then let's go in there and take them out!" Odd said excitedly just itching for another trip to Lyoko.

"Look Odd, if we all go in at once, we will draw too much attention to ourselves and he'll send in reinforcements. That's why I suggest performing a solo mission to escort Aelita to the tower."

The group's jaws all dropped once they heard the plan that Jeremie was suggesting.

"Hold it Jeremie. Didn't you say yourself that solo missions on Lyoko were dangerous?" Ulrich asked remembering a previous statement he made when XANA took control of Milly's teddybear.

"If we all go in Lyoko, we are more likely to alert XANA of our intentions and we'll never find out what's in that tower. That's why we need to execute this plan flawlessly."

"Go on Jeremie. I'm listening."

"Ok first off, one of us gets virtualized and meets up with Aelita. After they dispatch the blocks, Aelita enters the tower and sees what's inside of it. Since the tower is deactivated, Aelita could then stay in there and I'll devirtualize the person from Lyoko once we know that she is safe."

"I don't know Jeremie," Jin said worryingly. "The plan sounds simple enough but I still got a bad feeling about this. "

"We all do Jin, this will be the first time we willing make the choice to just send one person down to Lyoko. So who's it going to be?"

"Why don't we just run through the list and see who's best suited for this?" Yumi suggested.

"Fine we will. Ok who's the first one on the chopping block? How about Odd?" Jeremie first proposed.

"Odd in Lyoko by himself?" Ulrich said slightly shocked. "Let's just say that he's a little too loud and rowdy for this mission."

"Yeah Jeremie," Odd said in agreement. "As much as I love going into Lyoko, usually I'm there to raise trouble. I don't think I could keep things under wraps."

"Ok Odd's out. How about Jin?" Jeremie continued.

"Yeah, Jin would be an excellent choice. All he has to do in stand back, wait, pull the trigger on his rifle twice and poof no more monsters."

"Sorry Odd, no can do." Jin said quietly. "My rifle makes too much noise for a stealth mission such as this. By the time I finish my first shot, I'll probably alert XANA of my presence and he'll send enemies my way and everyone here knows that is not a good thing for both me and Aelita. Not to mention, the only way I could really take both the blocks out at once is if they were near each other and standing still and that's never going to happn."

"Ok so that eliminates Jin. Now its down to Yumi and Ulrich."

"I'll go," Yumi said as she slowly stood up.

"Are you volunteering yourself to go to Lyoko?" Jeremie asked confused.

"Are you crazy sis?!" Jin said still riled up of the fact he almost lost Yumi to the digital void.

"Don't worry Jin. I'll be safe. Jeremie's plan sounds pretty solid plus I have a little surprise in store for those blocks once I get there."

That uneasy feeling came back to Jin once more as he watched his sister walk away with Jeremie. He suddenly chased after the two and baraged through the cafeteria's double doors to say a few last words to his sister.

"YUMI!" Jin called out, hoping to catch her attention. "Take care of yourself and good luck!"

"I will Aniki!"

* * *

_Ok before I die I would like to go on the record that I love my sister dearly and that I will always be indebted to her. She was one of the reasons why I came back here and now thanks to her I've met a group of new friends and I'm saving the world in almost a weekly basis. Some people wonder how we are related seeing how we act like polar opposites of one another. Well we share many similarities with one another besides our looks, you just have to look pretty closely to find them. For one, my sister sometimes lets her emotions control her and will charge into a dangerous situation with reckless abandon. With me, I possess her need for decisive action and we can both take charge of a situation instantly._

_Something just felt off that day when I watched her walk away Some people have told me that I watch out for others a lot more than I watch out for myself which is absolutely true. Hey if I was a selfish jerk, I would be living a peaceful life in America without a care in the world. I hate that kind of life, it lacks a purpose. Now I don't have a death wish nor do I write suicide notes all day long. I just value other people's lives a little more than my own. I promised myself that I would not let another person get hurt, injured or even killed while I'm around. I've spent a good part of my life fighting and clawing my way out of the hole that I was thrown into and I am not going to sit back and let others suffer in my place. Not now. Not after the personal Hell I went through two years ago._

* * *

"Transfer Yumi. Scanner Yumi." 

Jeremie looked over the display that showed the program's status and everything seemed fine. Seeing that everything was in order, Jeremie hit the return key to begin the plan.

"Virtualization"

* * *

Yumi landed in the polar region and instantly saw Aelita hiding behind a giant boulder of ice. 

"Hello Yumi, Jeremie has informed me of all the details, looks like it will be just us two this for right now," Aelita said in her usual cheery tone of voice.

"Us and the two blocks near the tower," Yumi added readying herself forthe upcoming fight. She looked towards the tower and was surprised to see that it was devoid of any life.

"Aelita, I thought you and Jeremie said that there were two blocks patrolling the area."

"There were. They must have left while you guys were going to the scanner room."

"Ok, let's just use this break that XANA has given us and just check the tower, ok guys?" Jeremie said making a last minute adjustment to their plan.

"Ok" the two girls responded back simultaneously.

* * *

Aelita soon disappeared into the tower and left Yumi alone to fend for herself as she began her investigation. The aqua-blue interior of the tower was not an unfamiliar site for her. She always ventured into this territory whenever XANA activated a tower. The outer rings of the XANA symbol that lined the floor lit up, produced a high pitched ping that beckoned her to venture in deeper into the tower. Aelita stood in the middle of the platform a slowly lifted her arms which resulted in her gently floating to the ledge above her. It was then she made her discovery. What XANA was guarding so diligently just moments ago. The reason why she was even in this tower. What Aelita found in that moment would forever alter the course of the day's events. 

She found nothing.

* * *

Yumi leaned her back against a nearby pillar of ice. The mission went by smoothly without a single monster in sight. Now all she had to do was wait for a confirmation that Aelita was secure and she would soon return to school. 

"Man this place is cold," Yumi thought to herself. The was the first time she paid a visit to the polar region on Lyoko and she was not enjoying the experience one iota. Yumi approached the tower and began to wonder what Aelita was doing inside when she heard a strange noise behind her. Her battle instinctsallowed her to react by drawing her fan as she turned around to face the noise but she saw nothing.

Nothing except a giant wall of fire charging toward her.

* * *

"Now this is indeed strange," Jeremie said as he listened to Aelita's report from inside the tower. "Are you sure you checked everywhere?" 

"I did Jeremie, this tower hasn't even been touched by XANA. It's just a regular tower in Lyoko."

"No why would XANA's blocks circle it like that then. He MUST have been guarding something."

"Well I'm now safe in this tower Jeremie. You should devirtuailize Yumi right now since she doesn't need to be in Lyoko anymore."

It was then they heard a scream. This was not a battle cry or a scream of pain. This was a scream to terror. Pure, unhindered fright.

"Jeremie, what's wrong with Yumi?!" Aelita asked wanting to know how her friend was doing.

Jeremie brought up Yumi's character card and saw his next unusual sight of the day. According to his computer, Yumi had all her lifepoints. If she was undamaged, then why would she scream? Yumi wasn't the sort of person to joke around while in Lyoko. She and Jin had the strongest sense of duty and would rarely goof around so why would she start now?

"I don't know what's going on with Yumi but I'm going to devirtulize her anyway."

Jeremie fingers quickly danced around the keys and began the process of brining Yumi back home. He stared at the 3D profile of her character and saw it drain of its color showing that devirtulization was a successful. He soon road the elevator down to the scanners and found Yumi lying unconscious in the tall cylinder.

"What's going on here?!" Jeremie said as he looked at the motionless body and dialed his cell phone to call for help.

* * *

The reaming three members of the team quietly stood next the one of the many vending machines that the school littered around the campus. Odd was busy selecting a beverage of his choice while Ulrich and Jin stood near the back wall of the tiny room. 

"Man Ulrich, I am so stressed out right now," Jin said as he watched Odd place his money inside the machine.

Ulrich looked at the haggard expression Jin wore. He was beyond worried right now. Ever since his sister left to go on the solo mission with Jeremie, Jin has been a lot more fidgety and tense but then again who could blame him. Jin would always put his sister's needs in front of his own without having her ask him to do so. Not to mention he was an emotional wreak when Yumi was almost virtulized forever. He literally broke down and cried in front of everyone for all to see.

"Don't worry Jin," Ulrich said trying his best to calm him down. "Yumi is a tough girl. She can handle a lot of things."

Ulrich saw that his words had little effect on Jin's psychological state and he decided to leave him alone right now so that he could think things over. He walked over to Odd to see what he was doing at the current moment.

"So Odd, what did you choose to drink this time?" Ulrich asked to try to stir up a conversation with his friend.

"The hot chocolate but don't buy it. It taste like dirty socks and an old pair of sneakers!"

"And you know how those taste like how?!" Jin said dropping in on the conversation in his usual fashion. By some divine intervention, he had managed to re-collect himself and was acting in his usual demeanor. "Did you find a pair of dirty socks and an old pair of sneakers and go, "Man I wonder what this stuff taste like?" And when you drank the hot chocolate you were instantly recognized the taste based off of your past experiences?"

Ulrich let a small chuckle out before turning to Odd. "Looks like Jin got you back for all those falling down jokes you made about him earlier."

"Ok you got me good there Jin, I guess we're even now?"

"Maybe"

Suddenly the group's discussion was stopped by a female voice growing louder by the second. "Oh Ulrich dear!" Sissi called out as she ran towards him.

"Well look, it's your fan club," Odd said while backing away from Ulrich.

"Man I gotta see this!" Jin exclaimed following suit.

"Oh dear Ulrich," Sissi said faking a concerned look. "I see that your darling Yumi has deserted you."

"Yeah, just like your brain. It deserted you a long time ago."

"OOOOOHHH!" Odd and Jin howled in Ulrich's support. Seeing that their business was done here, the three of them left the company of the vending machines to go outside.

Odd turned his neck and saw Sissi place a series of coins in the vending machine and idea soon entered his mind, "Try the hot chocolate Sissi. Take my word for it"

Odd slowly walked away and listened to Sissi behind him to see if she would take his "advice".

"YUCK! WHAT IS THIS GARBAGE?!"

"Score" Odd said silently to himself as he pumped his fist into the air. He resumed his normal walking pace and saw Ulrich and Jin near a bench underneath a tree. Three distinct rings were then heard as the boys picked up their cell phones and saw that they all received a text message from Jeremie.

* * *

_Yumi, Injured_

_J._

* * *

"I wonder how Jin is going to take this?" Ulrich asked Odd as he turned towards the older boy and to see how he would handle the news. 

Whatever composer Jin had managed to build up was quickly lost as he read the message to himself. All of the emotions that he was bottling up to remain calm came out in two words.

"Oh God," he said quietly. Just before he fainted.

"Looks like he took the news better than I expected. Should we take Jin to the infirmary as well?"Odd asked staring at Jin to see if he was alright.

"Jin's just burnt out that's all. His mind has been on overload and I guess he couldn't take the shock. I'll go get Yumi, you stay behind and make sure Jin is alright."

"You better get going then. We don't have a lot of time to waste."

Odd watched Ulrich run off towards the manhole cover leaving him alone with Jin. Odd lifted Jin up and propped him up against the bench to make it look like he was sleeping right before he stood guard over the unconscious boy.

* * *

Nurse Dorothy was quietly reading a book at her desk when she heard a loud knock at her door. She set her reading material down on a nearby table and opened the door revealing Ulrich and Jeremie holding an unconscientious Yumi in their arms. 

"Oh dear, Yumi! Is she alright?" Dorothy asked, she would immediately take concern for all her patients that came her way and would always promise herself to provide them with the best care she could provide. "Ok you two, set her down on the bed but be gentle with her."

Jeremie couldn't really tell the good nurse the real truth of what happened for that would reveal the location of the factory and Lyoko. "Ummm..she passed out."

"Do you know why?" The nurse asked, trying to find a cause for her condition.

"Not really, we were just eating lunch together and she just blacked out."

"Now that sounds strange." Dorothy said not knowing what to make of Yumi's present state.

"That's not the only strange thing that's been happening today" Jeremie muttered underneath his breath just before the infirmary's doors where thrown wide open.

"YUMI!" Jin called out wanting to see for himself how his sister was doing.

"Jin? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you spend more time recovering from your panic attack?"

"That's what I told him" Odd said as he finally caught up and stood in the doorway slightly panting. "But he wouldn't listen. He just got up and started running over here."

"I'm not going to let something like that keep me from seeing my sister!" Jin said with a newfound sense of determination in his voice.

"Well there she is Jin" Nurse Dorothy said as she lead him to Yumi's sleeping form on the infirmary bed.

Jin took one good look at his sister before saying anything.

"Oh God" Jin said quietly once more before fainting for a second time.

Dorothy soon pulled out her first-aid kit and removed a strange vile before standing in front of Jin's body.

"Ulrich, you said that he fainted once before?" Dorothy asked trying to find the cause of Jin's suffering.

"Yes he did a few minutes ago."

"Sounds like your friend is too stressed out for his own good. Has there been something going on in his life that's been causing him to feel this way?"

"It's all the homework he gets" Odd said, crafting his own explanation. "Jin's been studying too hard and it looks like he's been paying the consequences. By the way Dorothy, what's with the vial that you got there?"

"These smelling saltswill help revive your friend here." Dorothy opened the small vile and held it under Jin's nose. Soon enough, Jin's eyes opened as he regained conscience. She saw a burning look in his eyes as he tried to stand up.

"I must see..if..Yumi is alright!" Jin said weakly as he stood up on both legs. Only to have them buckle underneath all the weight he placed on them sending him crashing to the floor once more.

Dorothy watched as Jin try to claw his way closer to his sister, struggling with every single inch he moved.

"It appears that seeing his sister in this present condition is triggering another panic attack. If he stays here anylonger, he might just black out again. You should get him out of here and make sure he doesn't encounter anymore surprises for today until he can finally relax."

Ulrich and Odd lifted Jin to his feet and slung his arms over his shoulders to help him keep his balance. Ulrich looked at Yumi as she laid on the bed and began to wonder about her health. "And what about Yumi?"

"Well it only looks like she blacked out. I'll give her some time to rest before I release her."

"What should we do about Jin?" Ulrich asked wondering how he should care for Yumi's brother.

"Just get him to relax." Jin lifted his head and watched Dorothy walk closer to him and spoke in a sweet reassuring tone of voice. "Don't worry Jin. I can see that you care for your sister deeply but don't worry. You'll be leaving her in good hands. I will make sure that Yumi will recover from this incident and be good as new."

Jin still required Odd and Ulrich's aid as all four of them exited the room to leave Yumi alone with the nurse.

* * *

It is so easy to fool these pathetic creatures. They only rely on their sight to make a majority of their judgements. So dependent on their senses, they have failed to realize that there ranks have already been compromised. Now all it had to do was get into contact with the reaming targets and gain access to their technology and it's deed will be done but first it must escape the clutches of this room.

* * *

Dorothy picked up her clip board and began to record her latest entry when she saw Yumi's eyes open. Seeing that the girl was now awake, a wave of relief to wash over her. "It's good to see that you're awake now Yumi." 

Yumi only responded by trying to sit upright.

"Don't get up Yumi" she said softly. "You still need your rest."

Yumi did not listen.

This time Dorothy was more forceful with her speech. "Yumi, as your medical caretaker I strongly advise you to stay here until you are feeling better." She placed her hand on Yumi's shoulder to send the message that she should not move. Yumi grabbed Dorothy's wrist before she glared at the woman.

No on was nearby to hear her scream.

* * *

_I'm an emotional guy and I sometimes allow my feelings to control me rather than the other way around especially when it comes to my family and friends. When they're in danger, I just lose it. You got to understand, that day was an emotional roller coaster for me and my sister arriving in the infirmary was just the first drop of many._

* * *

Jin sat on a bench away from the infirmary and removed a large black thermos from his backpack and began to drink its contents. The green tea that was still inside calmed Jin down but only slightly. 

"Thanks mother" Jin whispered to himself before placing the thermos back inside.

"So Jeremie, what was so special about that tower?" Ulrich asked, wanting to know the results of the mission.

"Well when Aelita went to inspect the tower, she found nothing. It was just a regular tower Ulrich, but what surprised me more was that Yumi passed out after the devirtualization process. Usually it's a smooth ride and doesn't cause too many problems.

"That's what you think" Odd said butting into the conversation. "You ever try coming back to Earth after a rousing battle on Lyoko? Let me tell you its no walk in the park."

Jin turned his head and saw his sister walking towards an undisclosed location before calling out her name.

"Hey Yumi, it's great to see that you're ok!" Jin ran over to his sister, still slightly dizzy after his previous two faints, and gave her a hug. However, Yumi did not kindly return the sign of affection. Instead of wrapping her arms around her brother, Yumi's body became rigid as if she was frighted by the gesture. Jin soon backed away from her after noticing this.

"What's wrong sis?" Jin asked still holding her shoulders.

"I'm fine Jin." Yumi responded coldly as she pulled herself free from his grasp.

"Still must be shaken about her trip in Lyoko." Jin thought to himself as he made a mental note of the event.

"So how was your time in Lyoko?" Odd asked as he caught up to the girl.

Yumi said nothing and continued walking towards the cafeteria. Odd looked back at the rest of his friends and shrugged his shoulders. For as long as he has known her, Yumi was not the type of person to just brush someone off without having a good reason to. This was just bizarre.

"Can this day get any weirder" Jeremie said as he followed Yumi into the cafeteria.

* * *

Foolish creatures indeed. Always relying on each other for support and not fending for themselves. Bonds of friendship and family are fragile bonds indeed. Now for the boy dressed in red. He shares a great majority of this individual's genetic code and is always by her side. He's trust in her will be his downfall. As long as no one senses the charade that has been planted in their laps, then success will soon be granted.

* * *

Jim was making his usual rounds around campus and decided to pay a visit to Nurse Dorothy for a visit since he was in the area. 

"Hello Dorothy, just stopping by to..."

Jim soon saw that the entire infirmary was in disarray. Tables were knocked over. Drawers laid on ground with their contents spilled. All the indications of a violent struggle. But most horrific of all, was that Dorothy was still in the room and was unconscious. Jim rushed to her side and placed his middle and index finger over her wrist to check for signs of life as was relieved to find a plus. Jim's first thought was that random thugs came into the office and attacked the poor woman but discarded that thought when she saw that Dorothy was still holding onto her clipboard.

"Hmm, she must have been treating a patient if she had her this out." Jim thought to himself while he gently removed the documents from her clutches. "If she was treating a patient, then that person should still be here. They couldn't have just walked away without receiving the proper care." Jim knew that this situation was too big for him to handle alone. He walked over to the infirmary's phone and dialed for help.

"Hello there, I need to speak to the principal." Jim paused for a minute to allow the principal to be contacted on the other end. "Sir, I'm at the infirmary and things are looking bad. Somebody has attacked Nurse Dorothy and as left the room in a complete mess. She was in the middle of treating someone but that person has left also."

Jim waited as he heard the principal ask him a question. "What's that sir? Who was the last person under her care? Well according to the records that Dorothy keeps it's..."

Jim squinted his eyes and looked at the last name on the list and was riddled with disbelief.

"Yumi Ishiyama?!"

* * *

Yumi walked inside the cafeteria and sat down in a vacant table. Despite all that had happened, only twenty minutes of the actual lunch period had passed as the cafeteria was still abuzz with the frequent chatter of the students inside. Her friends soon sat down soon after and were eager to know what happened during her assignment. 

Odd was the first to begin the round of questioning. "So Yumi, what exactly happened back there? I know being virtualized is rough on the system but I've never seen you black out in the scanner before."

"I don't remember anything" Yumi said flatly. "I just blacked out."

"You don't remember anything" Ulrich repeated..

Yumi wasn't exactly doing a good job with answering the questions that were being thrown her way, Odd then decided to turn to Jeremie to get a more in depth report.

"So Jeremie, what exactly did happen?"

"Well I virtulaized Yumi and she arrived on the polar region safe and sound. She then met up with Aelita and established contact with me to confirm the meeting. It was then we made our first discovery there."

"Which was?"

"The blocks guarding the tower were no longer there."

"Why the heck would XANA do that?"

"That's what I was wondering too. Well since the guards were gone, we decided to proceed with the investigation and inspect the tower anyway."

"So what did you guys find?" Ulrich asked totally enthraled in the conversation.

"I'm getting to that part, just wait. Yumi escorted Aelita to the tower and she goes inside of it only to find nothing."

"NOTHING!" The other three boys said in unison.

"Yep, no fancy programs, no key information, no intent to activate. This was just a ho-hum run of the mill Lyoko tower. It was at that moment I heard Yumi scream."

Jeremie saw Jin's eyes start to widen while his breath became more labored.

"The strange thing was that I saw no monsters on the holomap but I devirtualized her anyway just to be safe and that's when I called you guys to help carry her to the infirmary."

"Are you saying that after all that planning and what happened to Yumi, we got nothing." Ulrich said slightly angry.

"Regrettably, yes."

Odd was not entirely convinced that Yumi's venture into Lyoko was done in vain. Monsters don't normally stick in one area unless they're guarding something or lying in ambush. There had to be a reason for all of this. Odd was trying his best to piece together the gigantic puzzle that XANA had given the group. The only problem was that they only had a few pieces and no point of reference to start from and Odd needed more answers.

"Do you think XANA was setting a trap for us?"

"If he did, that would have been a perfect opportunity for him to do so but I saw no monsters near the tower. Yumi still had all of her lifepoints when she came back which meant that she suffered no damages during her stay there."

Jin tried to think of his own answers and soon found his heart racing again.

"Oh no, this is not looking good." Odd said to Ulrich as he saw Jin's breathing quicken once while his eyes were wide open.

"I wonder why he's so worked up. Just this morning, he was laughing and joking as if nothing happened?" Ulrich asked wondering why Jin was so stressed out in the first place.

"Jin is just overwhelmed by what's going on." said Jeremie as he provided his own explanation. "It's still obvious that he's still shaken from the time Yumi fell into the digital void and he has yet to recover himself emotionally from the event. Now with the treat of another XANA attack hanging over our heads, Jin is just worrying about too many things at once. We should really get him out of here so he could get a chance to lie down."

Jin was going to be getting his rest a lot sooner than Jeremie expected.

Sissi stepped into the cafeteria for the shade it provided and was closely followed by Herb and Nicholas. She scanned the room for familiar faces and came across five of them all sitting neatly in one neat little bunch in the corner of the room andslipped past the many occupants of the cafeteria to get to her goal.

"Oh hello Ulrich dear its nice to see you again."

"It's you again Sissi. What do you want?"

"Oh I just wanted to talk to you, is that a crime? You know many boys would kill to be in your position right now, talking to the most beautiful girl in school."

"And I'm sure that these "most boys" that you're talking about spend a great deal of their time in a padded cell with their arms strapped to their bodies."

Sissi heard the muffled laughter coming from Odd and Jeremie as they held their hands up to their lips to prevent their laughs from being too loud. Even Jin was able to release a small chuckle once he was able to comprehend what was going on around him.

Yumi watched the whole exchange between Ulrich and Sissi and wanted it to end the sooner the better. Such useless banter proved useless to her and she wanted to see the whole conversation end quickly.

"Oh be quiet Ulrich" Yumi's hostile voice snapped out. "Why don't you just go on a date with her. Obviously she's very pretty and I'm sure that you two would make such a great couple around here."

Herb and Nicholas choose that exact moment to finally catch up with Sissi and were able to hear every single word of what Yumi said to her. Nicholas's mouth hung loosely from his in jaw in shock as Herb tried his best not to show the burning rage he was experiencing as of now. Sissi too was surprised. This was her chance to win over Ulrich's heart, her own worst enemy has just raised the right flag and declared her the winner. This was truly one of the best days in her life.

"Well in that case meet me in the font of the library after school so we can talk. See you later Ulrich dear."

Ulrich was speechless. Why would Yumi say such a thing? She would NEVER yeild to her enemies like that, especially to the likes of Sissi. Jin too was riled with surprise and was only able to say two words before the whole situation phyiscally overwhelmed him.

"Oh God" Jin's eyes glazed over and he soon faited once again causing his body to fall off of the bench he was sitting on.

"I wonder if any other unexpected anomolies will come our way?" Jeremie asked himself as his day progressively got weirder and weirder.

"Ms. Isiyama" came a stern elderly voice behind him. Jeremie turned his head towards the speaker and saw the school principal standing tall and looking Yumi straight in the eye. "I wish to speak to you in my office now. Please follow me."

Yumi said nothing and slowly got up and tailed the principal as they both walked out of the cafeteria.

Jin soon woke up and was rubbing his forehead to trying to eliminate the dizziness he was feeling.

"Jin you should really get some rest" Ulrich said out of concern for his friend. "This is the third time you blacked out. You are REALLY stressed out."

Odd looked at Ulrich before extending his gesture of kindness. "Yeah if you want, you could rest in our room since you're a day student and all."

"No can do guys. Something is up with Yumi and I'm going to see exactly what it is." Jin looked around the table and realized that his sister's presence was missing from it. "Speaking of which, do you guys know where she is?"

"The principal came by and wanted to talk to her and they both walked over to his office."

"Well then I better head over there and wait for her." Jin grabbed his backpack and placed his headphones over his ears."

"Just try to ease up a bit" Odd told Jin, in a statement that had a strange blend of advice, concern and humor. "You don't want to lose whatever sanity you have left."

"Thanks" Odd watched Jin walk away and disappear into the crowd.

"Well I'm going to talk to Aelita. I just have to find out why XANA was guarding that empty tower."

"Well good luck" Jeremie soon left the table to go to his room.

Ulrich turned towards Odd and spoke once more. "Hey Odd, I want to talk to you about something but we got to get out of here."

"How come?"

"Well it concerns Yumi and other private matters and I think this cafeteria is too crowded for my taste."

"Alright then, where to?"

"How about the soccer field. Not too many people show up there."

Odd and Ulrich walked out of the door unaware of the set of angry eyes that were watching him. The figure readjusted his glasses to fit his head and patiently waited for the right moment to follow them.

* * *

Yumi stepped into the principal's office and sat down in the wooden chair that was placed in front of his desk. The elderly man also followed suit, taking his seat in front of the Japanese girl. 

"I assume you know why you're here." The principal said stroking his chin.

Yumi stared directly ahead and didn't even bother to look at him straight in the eye.

"Ok allow me to remind you then since it seems that you have forgotten what happened." The principal removed Dorothy's clipboard from underneath his desk and slid it over to Yumi. "Now Nurse Dorothy was attacked while she was caring for you. We sent her to the hospital and she has yet to regain consciences. You obviously saw the attacker and fled the room to avoid injury so please, will you help us?"

Yumi continued to gaze past the principal.

"Yumi, as principal of this school, I must know what happened." The principal's voice was less strict and more caring this time. "I can't let these individuals go unpunished or else they will attack another innocent victim. Please Yumi, help me end the madness."

But Yumi said nothing still.

Now the principal was getting frustrated with uncooperative girl. "Yumi, might I inform you that you're showing defiance to a school official which is a punishable offence. If you didn't see anything just tell me but if you continue with your silence then I'll have to give you two weeks detention and I will inform your parents about this infraction."

Yumi did not answer.

"Fine then, you left me with no choice.

The principal slowly stood up and walked towards his telephone if he were to turn around at that moment, he would have seen the angry glare the girl was giving him, along with an odd symbol that was on her forehead.

* * *

This is truly unsettling. By alerting the girl's guardians about her recent infraction, that would jeopardize it's purpose here. This will simply not do. That elderly human is now a potential threat. A threat that must be silenced.

* * *

The principal watched his hand grab hold of the vanilla phone while a slender hand took hold of his wrist. 

"Yumi, what is the meaning of this?!"

"Do not call my parents" she answered back coldly still keeping her hold on the principal.

"I will not! Unhand me this instant!"

Yumi then shifted her focus to the phone and began to wrestle it from the principal's grasp. He was surprised to see how strong the girl was and was using all of his strength to reclaim possession of the phone once more. With one final tug Yumi ripped the receiver free from the man's hands and raised it high into the air.

The principal didn't even have a chance to scream as the girl smashed the blunt object across his forehead knocking him out instantly. She dropped the phone and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her as not to alert anymore people of her crimes.

* * *

Threat neutralized.

* * *

Yumi walked out of the waiting room and continued on her way outside of the building. 

"I was wondering when you would come out"a male voice said behind her. Yumi spun around and saw Jin patiently leaning against a nearby wall.

"Oh it's you Jin" Yumi said indifferently.

"So what did he have to say to you?"

"That is inconsequential" Yumi continued to speak with apathy in her voice. She watched Jin walk up to her and the two began to walk towards the exit side by side.

"What do you mean it's inconsequential. I'm your brother here!" Jin exclaimed not knowing why his sister was acting so differently today.

"This does not concern you Jin!" Yumi's staid voice instantly changed to downright hostility.

Jin wisely backed away from the subject to avoid provoking his sister anymore but maintained contact with her by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Yumi, you've been acting differently as of lately." Jin watched Yumi react to his touch with fear and withdrawal rather than warmth and sincerity.

"I'm fine Jin" Yumi said while removing the boy's hand from her shoulder.

"Ok sis whatever you say. Now come one let's head back to the cafeteria to meet with the others. We'll cut through the soccer field, it's faster that way."

* * *

"So Ulrich, what do want to talk about?" Odd asked his friend after arriving to their predetermined location. "Here to tell me your undying love for Yumi and are afraid that the other students will hear you? Don't worry man I can keep a secret." 

Ulrich blushed after hearing Odd's assumption. "Well you're only half right, I do want to talk about Yumi but not in that way."

Odd shrugged his shoulders and wondered when his best friend would just reveal the feelings he has for the girl. Heck even Jin knew what was going on and he's oblivious to a lot of things.

"So what is it?"

"Ever noticed that Yumi has been a little "off" ever since she came back from Lyoko?"

"Yeah I noticed. She's been acting weird as of lately. It's almost like she was controlled by an evil robot or something." Once again Odd did not know how close to the truth he came to.

"Do you know why? I'm getting pretty worried about her."

"We all are, especially Jin. Man I bet you by the end of the day, he's going to be sporting a few gray hairs on his head if he keeps stressing out like that."

Odd's joke provided some much needed relief in the conversation as the two boys laughed at the remark.

"HEY ULRICH!" Came an angry voice nearby. Ulrich turned his head to see who was speaking and was in for a little shock. Marching over his way was a very angry looking Nicholas and Herb.

"What do you want Herb?"

"How dare you go on a date with Sissi. You're not good enough for her!" Herb spat with venom in his voice.

"Hey it's not like I wanted to. She paretically threw me into it. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are when Yumi gave her that suggestion."

"Oh you want to talk about surprises huh? How's this for one!" Herb allowed his rage cloud his better judgement and threw a clumsy right cross at Ulrich's head to try to extract some physical pain from the boy to compensate the emotional suffering he had bottled up inside.

Ulrich simply turned his head to the side and watched Herb's fist fly harmlessly through the air.

"I don't think Sissi would be too pleased to see one of her friends fighting." Ulrich said jokingly. He couldn't believe his eyes, Herb was trying to start a brawl with him. The sight was almost comical, if not pathetic.

"SHUT UP!" Herb threw his left fist out this time and watched Ulrich catch it with ease using his hand only to let go of it undamaged. Herb was beside himself with anger. Ulrich was just toying with his emotions right now and that only fueled his hatred even more.

"Nicholas, help me take this guy out!"

Nicholas charged reckless at Ulrich, only to find himself face down in the ground. He looked up and saw Odd smiling at him with his foot slightly extended.

"Can't have you hurting my best friend, now can I?"

"Look you two, we don't want to fight you guys right now. You both know that if we fight back, you're not going to like the outcome of the exchange, so let's be reasonable about this and just walk away." Ulrich tried his best to talk some sense into his angry opponents but his words went in though one ear and out the other. If he didn't stop this fight soon, this could escalate into something much worse.

* * *

"So my friend, what do you see?'' Dirk asked as he gestured towards the four students on the field. He and Clayton were just walking around campus to kill time when they spotted this little exchange between the four students. 

"I see a simple two on two fight." Clayton said pointing out the obvious.

"Where you see a fight, I see an opportunity."

"What do you mean?"

"Well we can clearly see that Herb and Nicholas are not the most competent fighters in the world but I think with the aid of some "outside sources" they can still win this small skirmish."

Clayton got the idea that Dirk was hinting at. "But wouldn't that get us in trouble with the principal."

"It could, but there is a way out."

"Huh?"

"Herb and Nicholas would gladly help us with their testimony. All we'll say is that Odd and Ulrich threw the first punch and we came in to save them."

"But I clearly saw Herb make the first move" Clayton said not clearly grasping Dirk's plan.

"I did too, but do you think Herb would admit that? All we have to say is they hit first and since there's four of us and only two of them, they have to believe our story no matter how fake it is."

"I'm really liking this plan Dirk" Clayton said rubbing his hands together.

"Me too. Now let's turn this two on two into a two on four."

* * *

"We don't have to do this" Ulrich said continuing to try to reason with Herb. Odd casually looked to his side out of curiosity to see what was going on around him. He eyes soon shot open as he saw two figures run towards his direction. 

"This looks bad!" Odd said out loud for Ulrich to hear.

Ulrich looked back at Odd and was in for a shock. Ulrich saw a slender person dressed in all black run up to Odd and grabbed his arm with his left arm and wrapped his right hand around the back of Odd's neck. Before Odd could break free from the hold, his attacker placed his right foot in between Odd's legs and drew it backwards, kicking out his left leg in the process and slamming his victim to the ground.

"ODD!" Ulrich screamed out just before he turned to his side only to see a gigantic arm come at him. The arm plowed through his head and sent him crashing towards the floor next to his fallen friend..

Clayton finished his clothesline and watched Dirk walk over to his side.

"Mind if we crash the fight?" He asked the two laying figures.

Dirk calmly looked down at Ulrich and smiled. "You know what Ulrich? You have a lot of people who would just love to stick a knife behind you so you better start watching your back for know on. I appologize that I didn't share this tibit of adivce with you sooner."

Ulrich noticed the familiarity of Dirk's statement as he used the same words during their fight on the rooftop that time Sissi stole his diary.

Herb and Nicholas stood behind Dirk and Clayton dumbfounded. The couldn't believe that those two actually came to help them.

"Why are you doing this?" Herb asked slightly frightened.

Dirk turned around and spoke "Because I got a grudge against Ulrich and Odd so you can either take our help or maybe I should turn around and start rubbing your face into the dirt as well."

Herb did not like the prospects of working with Dirk. Making a deal with him was like making a deal with the Devil himself. Oh sure, you'll get what you need done, but he'll leave behind a trail of destruction as a reminder of his services. Herb just nodded his head fearfully.

"That's what I thought" Dirk said as he focused his attention back to Odd and Ulrich.

The two boys struggled to get up but lacked the strength to do so. Dirk and Clayton's surprise attack took a lot out of them and they now barely had any energy to stand up.

"So Ulrich, four on two. We can still win."

"This isn't the movies Odd. It's really hard to fight a bunch of people at once."

"This doesn't look good." Odd said quietly as Dirk, Clayton, Herb and Nicholas loomed over them.

* * *

Jin and Yumi arrived just in time to see Dirk and Clayton ambush their two friends. Jin immediately dropped his backpack and CD player on the floor. 

"Come on Yumi! Let's teach those four bastards a lesson!"

Yumi just watched the whole scene before her and did not move an inch.

"What the hell are you waiting for? COME ON!"

"We should not get involved Jin." She replied flatly.

"What's gotten into you?! OUR FRIENDS ARE IN DANGER!"

Jin cracked his knuckles and ran towards the fight to lend his assistance and looked back at his sister. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn he saw her smiling.

* * *

"So Clayton, would you do the honors?" Dirk asked his friend who was more than willing to further injure their defeated opponents. 

"Sorry I'm late!" came a nearby voice. Dirk looked up and saw Jin running toward them at breakneck speed.

Jin jumped over Odd and Ulrich and aimed his body directly at Dirk and Clayton angling it downwards until it was almost perfectly perpendicular to the ground. He then extended both of his legs sideways and delivered a powerful kick on both sides, striking Dirk and Clayton knocking them away from the fight. Jin then tucked his head in and rolled out of his dive to avoid damaging his neck before he stood up.

Herb quickly charged at Jin before he could prepare himself for another attack. Herb rammed his shoulder into Jin and only succeeded to knock him back a few steps. Nicholas capitalized onthe opening his friend created and threw a hard elbow at Jin's chest sending himstumbling once moreinto the clutches of Dirk and Clayton allowing them to perpetuate the abuse he was experiencing.

Clayton watched Jin stagger backwards before hitting him in the back of his head with his arm, knocking him down face-first into the floor. Dirk calmly lifted Jin up from the ground and looked at him straight in the eye.

"Pathetic"

Dirk turned his back towards Odd and Ulrich and threw Jin over his shoulder sending him flying through the air. He soon landed on the ground in a loud thud, his body coming to a skidding halt, stopping right in-between Odd and Ulrich. Odd saw the vicious four-man beating that Jin suffered and knew that there was absolute no way he could continue to fight on. He looked behind him and saw Yumi, still patiently standing in the same spot that Jin had left here with her arms dangling by her sides.

"Hey Yumi!" Odd called out to get her attention. "If you want to make a dramatic entrance then now is a really good time! We're getting slaughtered here!"

* * *

This was most indeed a very joyous moment. Thanks to the effort of these "Samaritans" three of its enemies were lying in the ground in defeat. However, hurting its enemies was not part of the plan and was only a short term solution to cease their meddling in its affairs. Cuts disappear, bones mend, bruises heal, once fully recovered its enemies would soon return to Lyoko and resume their age old conflict once more. Maybe if it did participate in combat, it could regain its enemy's trust once more and they'll lead it to the scanners where the real assignment could begin. Ironically, the first step in the destruction of its foes began with their salvation. It took one step towards the fight and prepared itself to challenge these individuals.

* * *

It was over in less than a minute. 

Herb laid on his back gasping for air after having the wind knocked out of him. Nicholas was sprawled out on the field face first and struggled to rise to his feet. Clayton laid on his side sill dizzy after receiving such a powerful blow to the head. Dirk was the last one capable of fighting and slowly got up on all fours desperately trying to defeat the opponent before him.

"What did you just do?!" Dirk spat at the black haired girl who had single-handedly defeated the four opponents in her way.

"This" She said quietly as she placed her boot on Dirk's back and stomped down, pressing him into the grass below him.

Ulrich could not believe his own eyes. Yumi was able to lay waste to those people and did not even break a sweat. He knew she was good but this was beyond being a good fighter. Yumi fought as if she was possessed by a demon. Never did he see her fight which such tenacity and Even Jin was in shock by the whole sight not knowing what to make of it.

"I advise that we go to the scanners now." Yumi said in her all too familiar emotionless tone of voice.

Odd was the first one to stand up and was taken back by the request."Go to the scanners, now? Why do you want to go to the scanners right now?"

"I wish to see if they are operational incase XANA attacks soon."

Ulrich got up shortly after and helped Jin to his feet in the process. "Maybe later Yumi, Odd and I are going to our rooms for the remainder of the period so we can rest. Dirk and Clayton really worked a good number on us. But we should really get Jin to the infirmary, I don't think its healthy for him to continue at this strenuous pace after all the panic attacks he suffered coupled with the pummeling he suffered through."

"I'm fine" Jin grunted as checked himself over to see if he sustained any serious injuries.

"I can't believe your still standing!" Odd exclaimed as he saw Jin dust himself off. "You took a pounding from FOUR people and yet you're ok! How do you do it?"

"When you get into as many accidents as I do, you would be able to take something of that magnitude."

"So when will we go to the scanners?" Yumi asked once more, totally ignoring the other boy's fatigue and Jin's potential injuries.

"Maybe a little later, I don't think I can last the trip over there." Ulrich replied placing his palm on his forehead.

Never intervene humans with their petty conflicts, you'll get nothing in the end. It had overestimated the reward it would receive for its participation for it did not draw it one step closer to its intended destination. The being pondered its next move, it would try to "persuade" the remaining individual who always stayed in contact with Aelita.

* * *

Aelita left the security of the tower to further inspect the polar region. Despite all that Jeremie told her about a lack of enemies and a lack of information that the tower had, there was one question she still had burning inside. 

Why?

Why would XANA guard a tower? Why was the tower empty? Why did Yumi scream when she sill had all her lifepoints?

The answer it seemed, lie in a giant orb of fire nestled on the top of a nearby mountain.

"That wasn't there before" Aelita uttered to herself, perplexed by the orb's sudden appearance in Lyoko. Her curiosity got the better of her and she soon found herself creeping along the mountain's side to try to get a closer look.

Two roachsters posted on the top of the mountain saw the pink-haired girl and began to open fire.

Aelita pressed herself against the mountain and narrowly dodged the lasers. She watched the thin red beams of light hit the icy surface of the polar region and heard their high pitch wails to further intimidate her. Aelita pressed on with her climb, undaunted by the roachster's threats of death, determined to find out the significance of the ball of fire. The roachsters were fed up with playing snipers on the mountain top and made their way down the slope to dispose of the bothersome intruder once and for all. Aelita heard the mechanical clicking noise her pursuers made and wisely ducked behind a rock to hide from them. Her hunters scurried past her unaware of her presence and began to search the bottom of the mountain leaving her free to inspect the top to her heart's content. Quietly she tip-toed towards the ball and gazed towards it to try to find out what was inside.

"A guardian" Aelita gasped once she recognized the ball's true identity. She knew that guardians only appeared on Lyoko, whenever they captured something, so why would it be in the polar region right now? She was only able to see a rough outline of the object inside before the roachsters returned to their original posts and opened fired at her. Aelita once again found herself on the receiving end of another hailstorm of lasers as she dove off the cliff side landing gracefully at the base of the mountain.

"I need to tell this to Jeremie!" Aelita said to herself as she disappeared into the tower once more.

* * *

Jeremie sat on the edge of his seat and hung on to every word that Aelita said. See carefully retold her encounter painting a vivid picture with her story. Because Aelita's memory held no bounds, no detail was left unnoticed as she crafted her experience for her real world friend. Jeremie could have sworn that he was on Lyoko himself staring down the roaches alongside with Aelita. He couldn't believe how reckless she was. She was willing to face the forces of XANA alone and did not even care about the great peril she was in. 

"And after that I contacted you." Aelita said thus concluding her story.

"You shouldn't have left the tower like that Aelita. You could have gotten yourself killed out there." Jeremie spoke to the girl in a voice that was more worried than scolding.

"I know, but this whole situation with the tower has been troubling me and when I saw that guardian on top of the mountain I thought that it could lend some answers to all of our questions."

"This whole thing has been bugging me too. Look, we'll call the others and we'll investigate this thing when we have the chance."

"Thank you Jeremie"

"Don't mention it." The two friends shared a warm smile between them before Jeremie disconnected from Aelita and resumed work on his materialization program. He dutiful labor was interrupted by the opening of his door. Jeremie first assumed it was Odd and Jin making yet another game show inspried entrance.

"Ok guys, what prize do you have in store for you contestants this time? A trip to Paris, Rome, Germany?" Jeremie swivelled his chair to face the two wannabe game show hosts only to see a single black-clad girl. "Oh Yumi it's you. I thought that you were Odd and Jin just a second ago. Guess I was wrong."

Jeremie laughed at his slight case of mistake identity. "So, what can I help you with?"

"Can we go to the scanners now?" Yumi's icy cold voice asked.

"How so Yumi, there's no emergency that would require us to do so." Jeremie answered back not knowing why Yumi was suddenly interested in the machinery in the factory.

"Please Jeremie, I think it would be best for us to go there now."

"Not now Yumi, we'll all go later once class is over."

* * *

Looks like it had to switch tactics. If it couldn't achieve its goals through force, maybe it had to be a little more "persuasive" this time.

* * *

"You just have to wait right now Yumi. Lunch is almost over and..." Jeremie felt Yumi's finger touch his lips. Her skin was soft to the touch. 

"Stay still Jeremie" Yumi's voice was soft and soothing and put the boy at a state of uneas as he began to ponder what she was doing.

Yumi reached over to the sides of his head and gently removed his glasses. She was still close enough for him to see her. A deceivingly innocent smile could be seen on her lips. Her eyes look soothing as the rays of the sun revealed her dark brown eyes. Yumi the gently caressed Jeremie's cheek and leaned in closer with her lips puckered.

The whole scene before him overloaded Jeremie's mind. Never in his life did he expect to be this close to a girl, let alone Yumi. He couldn't help but blush at the sight but he knew that he couldn't return the kiss. He was Ulrich's friend and he did not want to do anything that could destroy their everlasting friendship. Jeremie leaned back as far as he could in his chair and tried his best to snap Yumi out of the "affectionate"mood she was in.

"Um...maybe you should go home Yumi and take a bath. No wait, even better a shower! A really cold shower very, very, very, very cold. To calm you down." Jeremie was relieved to see that he was able to get his suggestion out despite his mind being overwhelmed at the moment but his troubles were far from over. For one, Yumi was not listening to him and was inching closer to him and he was about to expect company.

"Hey Jeremie, you still in there? We gotta get to class now." Came Ulrich's voice on the other side of the door.

"Oh no" Jeremie thought to himself as he heard the door open revealing his three remaining friends.

Ulrich saw Yumi hovering over his friend and Jeremie with a embarrassed look on his face. He put two and two together and soon stormed out of the room in a fit of anger.

Jin's reaction was just as extreme. "Oh God" he said before falling over backwards and landing on the floor.

"Took the words out of my mouth Jin" Odd said not bothering to look at his fallen companion but instead focused on Jeremie and his little "meeting" with Yumi.

"It's not what you think Odd!" Jeremie blurted trying his best to defend himself.

"Well this doesn't exactly look like the idea way for you to work on your materialization program, now is it." Odd soon left for class disgusted that his friend would stoop so low but not before nudging Jin with his foot so that he would wake up.

"Odd wait up!" Jeremie called out as he left his room and closed the door around behind him making sure not to step on Jin during his frantic chase.

* * *

Jin sat in his seat in his class and looked out of the window. His teacher was reviewing a lesson that he already knew and used the time to think to himself. Jin's fourth trip to dreamland that day proved to be very useful for him as his mind began to piece together all the little fragments of information that he had receiving for that day. Each time he would wake up, he would get a clearer and clearer picture of what was going on. Yumi was not in class at that moment, which was strange since she was not the type of person to skip school. Jin thought back to all the mental notes he made that day and all the strange things Yumi did. Her fearfulness to his touch, her cold tone of voice, the hesitation she had to save her friends. All of these had to be the result of one underlying problem that was in her life. There had to be something going one with her that was causing her to behave like this. Jin pondered all the personal problems that his sister might have until a distinct fact entered his thought pattern making him drop that lead entirely. First was the fight, but was that it? There had to be more. Jin thought back to all the conversations he shared with his sister that day and found his next startling discovery. 

_"Oh, it's you Jin."_

_"I'm fine Jin"_

_"That does not concern you Jin"_

_"We should not get involved Jin"_

This was not thr Yumi he knew and loved.

The differences were too great. This "new Yumi" was doing things that Jin would never expect which could not easily be explained by her being a "rebellious teenager". He had to find Ulrich and the others to tell them what's going on.

RING!

Jin didn't even wait for the teacher to dismiss him as he quickly ran out of the classroom to search for his friends.

* * *

Ulrich had his own explanation why Yumi was acting differently today. 

"No wonder why she's been acting so strange as of lately. It's because she was going out with Jeremie. That explains everything. She was so willing to go on a solo mission on Lyoko that way she could be alone with him!" Ulrich thought to himself. "Why didn't she tell me?! Was I strung along with her for the ride?! It only makes sense, it was because of him that she's still with us. I can't believe Jeremie would do such a thing!" Ulrich shut his eyes closed tight as he fists began to ball up.

RING!

Ulrich left the room and wanted to confront Jeremie face to face.

Jeremie stood in front of a very irate Ulrich. "Please Ulrich, let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain here Jeremie! I hope you two have a long and happy relationship together." Ulrich walked past Jeremie and could feel a small tear begin to form in his eye. There were so many emotions he was feeling right now, anger, sadness, despair and of course jealousy. His walk was soon halted once he felt a hand being placed on his chest.

"I need to talk to you guys, especially you Ulrich." Jin said confidently.

"What's there to talk about? Yumi and Jeremie are going out, case closed. Why should I probe this subject anymore when the answer is so painfully obvious!"

"Yumi gave you the benefit of the doubt when she saw you with Sissi during the incident with your diary. The LEAST you could do as her friend is to show her the same level of trust."

Jin's words spoke volumes of truth. How could he be so selfish?

"Ok Jin, what do you want?"

"Head back and get Odd and Jeremie and meet me at the entrance to the dorms. I'm calling a team meeting."

* * *

Odd and Ulrich, and Jeremie soon arrived at the designated meeting place and saw Jin patiently waiting there leaning against a nearby wall. 

"So what's so special about this team meeting?" Odd asked placing his hands into his pockets.

"Something is up with Yumi" Jin replied.

"Well duh, everyone knows that she's been a little off" Odd replied not knowing where Jin was going with this meeting.

"No Odd, this is much worse than a "little off". In the span of one day, Yumi has done some things that she's never done before in her entire life."

"Explain"

"Well there's the incident in the cafeteria for one. How many times has Yumi admit defeat to her opponent?"

"Well maybe she just said that so she could get me away from her since she wanted Jeremie so badly." Ulrich glared back at the boy in question who was a little uneasy with being the subject of Ulrich's anger.

"That's what I thought at first until I remembered two details that just grabbed me at the throat and forced me to come up with another solution."

"And those details are." Odd gestured with his hands to show Jin that he anxiously awaited for his answer.

"First off there's the fight we got into and how she was able to defeat Dirk, Clayton, Herb and Nicholas all by herself."

"What about the fight?"

"Yumi used an ENTIRELY different fighting style than what she normally uses."

"Maybe she was trying some new stuff out." Odd said providing his own counter argument.

"You don't try new stuff out when you're fighting FOUR people Odd." Jin turned his head towards Ulrich. "Come on Ulrich, think back to the fight."

Ulrich closed his eyes and thought back to the brawl that he participated in during lunch and how Yumi single-handedly won.

* * *

Herb was Yumi's first opponent. He was too fearful to fight and held both of his arms to his face to try to ward off her attacks but to no avail. Yumi brought her foot behind Herb's legs and kicked through them causing him to fall on the ground on his back. Yumi then lifted her leg in the air and brought it down hard on Herb's chest almost cracking the bones underneath her boot. 

Yumi then focused her attention towards Nicholas who stood his ground and was unafraid of the girl. Yumi grabbed the boy's head with both of her hands and delivered a fierce knee, striking him in the forehead and knocking him out instantly.

Clayton was more aggressive then her previous two opponents. He recklessly charged her only to see the girl lock both of her fist together and swing both of her arms at the larger boy. Her two hands collided with Clayton's head and sent him spiraling towards the Earth where he landed on his side.

Dirk too ran at the girl but was greeted with a power snap kick aimed at his jaw. He was launched straight into the air and landed on his back gazing at the sky wondering what on Earth hit him.

* * *

"You see Ulrich, Yumi was able to beat four people using only four moves. That is beyond skill, that is almost downright evil." 

Ulrich began to see what was in front of him all this time. How could be so blind, when the answers were so painfully obvious.

"So what's the second detail that you have for us?" Odd asked.

"Ok guys now think back. Ever since Yumi came back from her trip to Lyoko and started acting all weird, how many times has she called me Aniki?"

Odd, Ulrich and Jeremie's open wide once they saw Jin's second observation.

"Let's head to my room and talk to Aelita" Jeremie said prompting an almost instantaneous response from his friends.

* * *

The problem with its last two attempts was that it left too many variable open. Much like a mouse in a maze, if you keep too many paths open, your subject would never be able to go where you want it, but if you begin to close each and every opening one by one then you force your victim into your clutches. It closed the door behind him, concealing its dastardly deeds once again and awaited for the others to show up.

* * *

"Ok guys, I'll contact Aelita" Jeremie said as he opened the door to his room and saw his precious computer laying on the floor in a completely destroyed. 

"MY COMPUTER!" Jeremie ran over to the heap of electronic wreckage and held his keyboard with his arms.

"Oh God" Jin said to himself quietly.

Ulrich, Odd and Jeremie recognized that cue and turned their headsin his direction expecting to see him on the floor any second now but were to surprised to see that he was still standing.

"You didn't faint" Odd said commenting on his standing position.

"That's because now I know what's going on."

"Who would do such a thing?" Jeremie said still clutching his keyboard.

Ulrich named his first suspect. "Sissi and her gang maybe. We did rough them up pretty badly at the soccer field."

Jeremie shook his head in disapproval. "This was not a Sissi attack. If she was the mastermind behind this then she would have been looking a whole lot happier in class and if I recall, she looked pretty glum when I last saw her."

"What about Dirk and Clayton."

It was Jin's turn to shake his head. "Negative Ulrich. It's not their style to be destroying other people's property without a "fair warning". Besides, Dirk would love to fight us again and breaking a computer would not satisfy his appetite for revenge."

"Ok guys think, who was the last person here?" Odd said trying to come up with his own answer.

Ulrich was the first one to come across it. "Yumi! No way!"

"This obviously has to be XANA's doing." Jeremie said out loud.

"Jeremie, I'm sorry for acting like the way I did back there." Ulrich apologized seeing how Jeremie was innocent all along.

"Thanks Ulrich but now we gotta make sure that we don't tip Yumi off. Act like everything is normal with her. We'll have to head to the factory to get a better picture of what's going on around here."

Yumi's silhouette could be seen in the doorway as she stared at her friends.

"So are we going to the scanners now?"

Jeremie looked down at his computer before fixing his gaze on Yumi. "Looks like we have no other choice."

* * *

Jeremie ran to his computer in the factory while he watched the others board the elevator to the scanner room and spoke into his headset. 

"Ok guys we got a little problem here."

"Yeah we know Einstein. Four fighters three scanners one of us has to stay behind and wait." Odd replied from the scanner room.

"I'll stay behind for now" Yumi said which drew some suspicious stares from the rest of the group. It was then that Jin got an idea. He couldn't leave Yumi alone in the scanner room, he had to keep an eye one her as long as she could.

"Jeremie, send Odd and Ulrich into Lyoko first. Then Yumi and I will catch up. That way no one is going in alone."

"Good idea Jin" Jeremei said over the factory's speakers. "Ok Odd and Ulrich, we're ready to begin."

The two boys complied by stepping into the scanners.

"Ok, here we go. Transfer Odd. Transfer Ulrich"

Yumi let a small smile show on her lips as she watched the scanners hum and buzz revealing that they were indeed working.

"Scanner Odd. Scanner Ulrich"

Yumi's eyes darted around the room as if she was searching for something.

"Virtualization!"

* * *

Odd and Ulrich landed safely in the polar region of Lyoko and saw Aelita directly ahead of them. 

"Glad you can make it. Where is Yumi and her brother?" Aelita asked wondering why there were only two people in front of her.

"Jin wanted to be transferred a little later so he could keep an eye on Yumi. She's been acting differently as of lately."

"Well I think the guardian that's nearby can provide us with some much needed clues."

"Guardian?" Odd asked unfamiliar with the enemy Aelita mentioned.

"It's up on the top of that mountain" Aelita pointed to the large ball of fire that had remain motionless this whole time."

"Ok, once our backup gets here, we'll storm the place" Odd said smiling while readying his wrist for the upcoming battle.

* * *

Jin catiously eyed his sister as he made sure she was in the scanner completely before he stepped inside himself. 

"Ok Jeremie, we're ready." Jin said right before the doors closed on him.

"Transfer Yumi. Transfer Jin."

Yumi watched the bright lights in the scanner light up and prepared to make her exit.

"Scanner Yumi. Scanner Jin."

Yumi grabbed onto the scanner's doors and began to force them open.

"Virtuaization!"

The being threw the doors of its small prison wide open and stepped out into the room. It was like a kid in a candy store able to do what it wanted and was uncontested. It quickly reached over to a series of large wires and began to pull at them.

* * *

"AHHHH!" 

Odd heard a loud scream and a thud behind him. He turned his body around as saw Jin lying face down in the ice.

"I though you mastered your landing already?"

"I did, but I thought it would be a good change of pace for me to land on my face since I fainted so many times before and yes I know I'm a strange individual." Jin said, preempting Odd's next comment.

"Wow, he's good" Odd said to Ulrich who responded by drawing his sword.

"Roachsters, dead ahead!"

Odd changed his focus and saw three roasters make their way towards the group and saw them open fire at Aelita.

"Nooo!" Aelita screamed out right before Jin grabbed her and spun her around, using his own body as a shield and absorbed all three lasers into his back.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired the small yellow dart and struck one of the roaches in the center. He then saw Ulrich run past him with his sword drawn and stabbed a nearby roach right in its weak point. The third roach then opened fired on Odd and struck him in the chest.

"Pesky little creatures aren't they?"

Before Odd could fire another arrow at the roach, he saw it flinch interrupting its next laser charge. The roach recovered and tried to attack again, but the second bullet finished it off turning it into a pile of scrap metal.

"Now who's getting rusty around here?" Jin asked holding his pistol which was still smoking.

"Don't let it go to your head."

"Come on you two." Ulrich commanded, let's head up that mountain and see what's with that guardian. He then noticed that Jin arrived by himself and that Yumi was absent from the battle.

"I though you said you would keep an eye on Yumi?"

"I saw her walk into the scanner and...oh no! Do you think she could have stepped out before she was virtualized?!" Jin asked alarmed.

"Well we better deactivate the tower then or else we'll find out the hard way!" Ulrich said, "Now let's go. We don't have any time to waste!"

The party made their way up the mountain and saw the Guardian in all its glory along with a lone roachster standing by its side. The enemy charged its laser and sent it flying towards Ulrich's direction but was not expecting the warrior's next move.

"HIYA!"

Ulrich lifted his sword into the air and blocked the incoming beam. The laser reflected off of the blade's surface and flew into the mountain's side which served as a mirror since the beam was once again redirected towards the roachster thus ending its existence. Ulrich sheath his weapon and approached the Guardian to inspect it's captive. It only took him two seconds to recognize who it really was.

"YUMI!" Ulrich drew his trusty sword once more and began to hack at the outer layer of the red menace before him. "Don't worry, I'll get you out in no time!"

* * *

Jeremie spied on Yumi through the use of one of the several cameras located around the factory. Somehow, she was able to escape the virutalization process and was wreaking havoc in the room. If she succeed in destroying the scanners, then his friends would be trapped in Lyoko forever, he had to do something. Without even informing his friends about his sudden absence, Jeremie boarded the elevator and prepared to confront the rogue girl. 

Yumi gripped the power cords attached to the machines and attempted to rip them apart. Sparks flew from the wires releasing a brilliant electrical shower. Yumi's reign of destruction was interrupted as the elevator's doors opened revealing Jeremie standing inside.

"Yumi, what are you doing?!" The blond-haired boy asked.

Yumi was caught red-handed. Seeing no way out, she figured out that she would have to neutralize this threat in a similar fashion in the way she disposed of the principal.

The last thing Jeremie saw before the darkness overcame him was Yumi drawing her fist back.

* * *

Ulrich still furiously swung his sword despite the fact that he wasn't doing much damage. 

Jin was the first to point out the futility of his efforts. "Ulrich, you've swung that thing for over fifty times and still that thing is still standing. Do you think it will just keel over and die after the next fifty blows you give it?"

"Do you have a better idea Jin?"

Aelita was then hit with a flash of genius. "No but I do." Aelita knelt by the Guardian and began to sing to the heavens. Soon a near perfect replica of Yumi was formed right beside the heroes.

"Yumi" Ulrich said quietly as he reached over to touch her only to see his hand pass through her body.

"It's just a holographic decoy Ulrich. This is not real."

"Then what is it supposed to do if it can't fight?" Odd asked wondering if Aelita really did have a plan.

"Just wait Odd and you'll soon see."

The Guardian saw the holographic Yumi in front of it and became confused. For all this time, he thought he imprisoned the target but it looks like that was not true. Sensing the individual held captive was still a potential threat, the guardian tried its best to stretch out to capture its target while at the same time keeping its current hostage prisoner. This exercise in multi-tasking proved to be too much for it as it shattered into a million pieces and leaving Yumi behind in a slight daze.

"Where, where am I?" The Japanese girl said looking while looking around the mountain top only to have her question answered by a firm hug.

"SIS!" Jin couldn't contain his excitement. His real sister was safe and sound, his suffering had ended.

"Aniki, it's good to see you too." Yumi replied a little uneasy wondering why her brother was so happy to see her.

"Man I've been looking forward to hearing that name all day. Thanks sis."

"You're welcome. Ok Ulrich, what's going on?"

"Well ever since you came back from Lyoko, you've been acting really strange but now we know why."

"And what would that reason be?"

"XANA has made an evil copy of you."

Aelit quickly tried to get Jeremie's attention. "Jeremie, stay away from Yumi! Jeremie, are you there? Jeremie? JEREMIE!" Aelita assumed the worst when Jeremie did not respond to her calls of distress.

"Well let's just deactivate this tower or else things will get a lot worse than they are." Ulrich said, focusing the group's attention towards their mission.

"You three should go on a head. I don't know how many lifepoints I have left after being trapped inside that thing so I might just get in your way. Besides, with Jeremie out of the picture the factory is virtually defenseless from my counterpart.

* * *

_Bet you didn't see that coming huh now did you? Look I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. If I could, I wouldn't be hanging here with only precious seconds to spare just before I bite the bullet. I'd make twenty-six episodes of this stuff and sell it to an animation company and make a wonderful cartoon series. And maybe in the near future, some random teenage kid would novelize my show and place a bunch of new characters in it. Well it doesn't matter what I could have done because its all going to be over soon._

* * *

Odd saw an inherent flaw in Yumi's plan. "But with Jeremie out of the picture how are you going to get back to the real world?" 

"Hey Ulrich, you're armed aren't you?"

Ulrich looked uneasily at his sword and knew what Yumi was suggesting. "You want me to..." He could not complete his answer for Yumi's request made him a little uneasy.

Jin too saw what his sister wanted and stepped in front of her with his gun drawn aimed at her head.

"I'll make this quick" Jin's said with a determined look in his eyes.

Yumi looked at her brother and saw that despite his stone-cold demeanor, his gun was shaking violently.After what seemed like an eternity, Jin dropped his weapon andlooked at the icy cold floor with downcast eyes.

"I can't do it Yumi! I don't care if it's only virtual. I just can't do it!"

Ulrich calmly walked over to the girl and drew her into a warm embrace.

"Sorry" He whispered into her ear before stabbing his sword through abdomen. As Yumi's body faded from Lyoko, she flashed Ulrich a small smile letting him know that everything was going to be alright.

"That was one of the hardest things I had to do in my life" Ulrich said to himself fighting back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"It's ok man" Odd said placing his hand on his friends shoulder to comfort him. "You had to do it. It was what she wanted. Now let's deactivate that tower and get out of here."

Jin looked solemnly over the mountain side and gazed at the tower and the roaches guarding it. Once again his sister was going to do battle with unspeakable evil alone. He almost lost her once and he was not going to let that happen again.

"Ok guys listen up, I got a plan."

Odd and Ulrich turned their heads and faced their gunner and tactician to better listen to what he was saying.

"You guys head to the bottom of the mountain and hide behind that rock. I'll stay up here and distract the enemies for you. Then you come out and pick up the scraps once I'm done."

Jin watched his friends hide behind the boulder as planned and let an evil grin spread on his lips.

Jin got on one knee to recover the pisitol he dropped before he clutched in thightly in his hand.

"Not this time XANA. I'll be there, just you wait."

* * *

Yumi continued to tug at the cords with all her might but was once again disturbed once she heard the scanner open revealing the real girl that she was copying. 

"You look like me on a bad day." The real Yumi taunted the false one before getting into her battle stance her evil counterpart responded kindly.

The imposter was the first to attack. She ran up to the girl and delivered a high kick to her face which struck her with pinpoint accuracy. Yumi skidded on the ground and her movements only ceased once her body collided with the scanner.

"Can't give up now. I gotta fight on" Yumi thought to herself as she watched her twin walk closer to her.

* * *

Odd was on a role today as he spotted another fatale flaw in his friend's plan. 

"Hey Ulrich, did you notice something wrong with Jin's stratagy?"

"What do you mean? Jin is supposed to be the distraction, that's his character's role."

"Yeah but look, Jin is still on the mountain and he has his pistols out."

"You're right Odd. That vantage point is better suited for his sniper rifle but what is he planning to do then."

Soon enough, Ulrich's question was answered. He watched Jin jump off the side on the cliff and began to slide down the mountain's side.

"YOU WANT SOME OF THIS! LET'S ROCK!" The gunfighter yelled out.

Jin released a hailstorm of bullets on the unsuspecting targets as they rained down from all over. The remaining roaches trained their lasers at Jin who made himself an easy target and shot at the sliding person.

"That's right you roachsters, shoot me. Drain me of all my lifepoints" Jin said as he watched the lasers come at him. He was able to squeeze off two more rounds which struck a nearby roachster before the lasers impacted upon his body reducing his lifepoint count to zero. Jin's body collapsed on the mountain side as both devirtualized and continued its downward decent.

"JIN!" Ulrich saw the boy'a body vaporize into thin air leaving him alone with Odd and Aelita to finish what he started.

* * *

Yumi heard a loud hiss and felt a rush of cold air behind her. The scanner behind her and saw Jin step outside into the room before him. He tilted his head and saw her laying figure before extending his hand forward. 

"Thought you might need some help."

"How did you know that I'm the real Yumi?" The girl asked wondering what motivated her brother's decision.

"When I first looked in your eyes, they looked back at me full of hope and not resentment."

"You intentionally got yourself devirtualized didn't you?"

"Can't let you take this on by yourself. Plus I think I deserve a little payback for all the trouble our little friend XANA caused here."

"Aniki, that thing isn't XANA."

"I know, but it's pretty damn close to the original." Jin turned around a pointed his finger at the phoney Yumi who now displayed XANA's mark on her forehead. "Listen up because I'm going to say this once. You are not my sister! You have given me enough grief all day. You made me suffer though an emotional Hell.Allowed meUlrich and Oddto get a beating from Dirk, Clayton, Herb and Nicholas AND you almost broke up our group of friends. XANA you messed with the wrong two people and we will take you down! Right sis?" Jin got into his battle stance and braced himself for the fight of his life.

"Right Aniki!" Yumi got into a different stance and stared down her imposter.

XANA reckless charged the duo and threw her right fist in the air. Jin sidestepped the attack while Yumi caught the offending hand and locked it in place. Jin then stepped in-between the gap that his sister created and delivered a vicious backhand which knocked XANA free from Yumi's hold.

Jin cracked his knuckles and stared at the girl. "You know I don't normally hit girlsbut then again, I don't even consider you human!" Jin spat out.

It was now Yumi's turn to take the offensive as she rushed her double with a series of well placed punches and chops. XANA couldn't keep up with Yumi's ferocious barrage of attacks as it tried its best to defend itself. Just then, Yumi stepped to the side and gave XANA an opportunity to counterattack but before that moment was taken, Jin entered its field of vision as he jumped into the air and launched a powerful dragon kick.

XANA was knocked backwards after receiving the kick in its face but was still willing to fight. Jin took his sister's place on the front line and began to attack XANA with his patented set of lightening-quick kicks with his right leg. Once again, XANA had no choice but to defend himself and soon saw its attacker sidestep out of the way. The being looked straight up and saw Yumi leap into the air and delivered a powerful chop to its neck. XANA felt the girl's body howl in pain as it grabbed the painful area out of instinct leaving himself open for another attack. Jin seized the moment and spun counterclockwise and struck XANA in the face with the back of his heel knocking his opponent to the floor.

Jin and Yumi watched the body for any signs of life. That fight proved to be a little too easy. The evil twin stood up once again and a grim realization hit the two Ishiyama siblings.

Despite their prowess in the realm of fighting, this was not a fight that they were going to win.

Their opponent could endure a lot of abuse and eventually their bodies would tire will XANA's would still be just as good as new. Now they were fighting to buy the others time on Lyoko.

Jin quickly took the offensive once again and threw another roundhouse kick at XANA which was quickly blocked. Jin then launched a sharp middle kick to its side but that found an arm there baring its path. XANA fired two quick punches at Jin's shoulders stunning him right before kneeing him in the stomach. Jin eye's almost bulged out his head as he keeled over making himself a perfect target for his opponent's next move.

"NO!" Yumi screamed out as she saw her twin boot Jin in the face. Her brother was sent flying through the air as hisback collided against the scanners while the rest of his body slumped to the floor in a tired heap.

And then there was one.

* * *

"GO! GO! GO!" Odd yelled as he and Ulrich jumped out of their hiding spot to attack the roachsters that were near the tower. Odd threw himself into the fray and was shot in the chest once more. Ulrich quickly rolled to his side to protect him from any further damage. 

"How many lifepoints do you have left Odd?"

"I think I have twenty left, so one more direct hit and its bye, bye me"

The two roachsters that served as the last guards for the remaining tower opened fired at Aelita. Odd quickly dove in front of the girl and took the brunt of the attack. He quickly placed his hands on the area he was hit and noticed that he was still virtualized.

"Hmm, looks like I had more lifepoints that I originally thought"

"You werealways a wash out in mathOdd" Ulrich said jokingly.

"Well thanks to you Ulrich, I can now count to three."

* * *

Yumi ran to her brother's side to see if he was ok. 

"ANIKI!" She yelled as she desperately shook him.

Jin let out a small cough before speaking his voice sounded weak as this was the second beating he took today. "Yumi...watch...out behind...you"

Yumi turned around and saw XANA deliver a side kick at her. Yumi jumped to the side while Jin rolled out of its path and rested against a nearby wall. Yumi was able to catch the leg and threw XANA against the scanners as retribution for what he did to her brother. Her opponent bounced off the object and came staggering toward her. Yumi quickly grabbed hold of the imposter and kneed her in the stomach right before she grabbed the other combatant in the back of the head and slammed her face into the floor. Yumi was running one pure adrenaline right now. She watched in horror and XANA willed the body to stand once more and appeared to have not a scratch on him.

"XANA took no damage?! That blow could have KILLED an average human!" She thought to herself alarmed by the sight.

But then again Yumi's wasn't fighting an average human being here.

Yumi went for another throw. She grabbed XANA's arm with both hands and went into a baseball slide, kicking its leg out while still mataining her grip. XANA flipped forward and landed on its back and was slightly dizzy after being thrown to the ground twice. Before Yumi could prepare herself for another attack, XANA quickly closed in the gap between him and and girl and fired an uppercut at Yumi's chin knocking her straight into the air similar to how she defeated Dirk a couple of hours ago. XANA slowly walked over to Yumi and raised its boot with the full intention of brining it down on her face but stopped. XANA had a more devious way to end the life of one of its mortal enemies. It walked to the center of the room and ripped the manhole cover free from the hole and carried over to the fallen girl. XANA then had the evil Yumi raise the large object over her head to that it could be used to bludgeoned her to death.

"NO!" Jeremie screamed out as he shoved the girl out of Yumi's way causing the evil clone to fall into the open manhole.

* * *

"TRIPLICATE!" Ulrich summoned the aid of his two clones and sent them to do battle with the two roachsters in front of him. The roaches opened fired and disposed of one clone but allowed the remaining double along with the real Ulrich to get their attacks in thus clearing the way for Aelita. 

"FUSION!" Ulrich called back his surviving clone and turned towards Aelita. "Ok, do your stuff."

Aelita wasted no time and was already at the tower's control screen.

AELITA

* * *

XANA's Yumi crawled out of the hole that Jeremie's shoved her in and grabbed hold of the boy squeezing the life out of him right before lifting him over her head. Yumi was too winded to get up and saw the clone carry Jeremie over to the hole and was preparing to throw him to his death.

* * *

_And this is what landrd me in this predicament. Yeah I was tired, battered, beaten and bruised. But I was not going to let that stop me from saving my friends. I don't know how, but I was able to gather enough strength in me to allow me to stand. I soon leaned against the wall for support and had a choice to make. If I charged in there now in my present condition, there was a good possibility that I would get killed but if I didn't do anything, Jeremie was going to be taking my place in the death seat. It was either my friend or me and I closed my eyes and came to my decision._

_I lived a good life there was no use continuing it._

* * *

Jin ran at the offender with every once of strength he had left in his body and tackled XANA's puppet causing her to release Jeremie. The two individuals were knocked towards the open manhole and fell inside of it. Jin was able to grab hold of a edge of the cover while XANA took possession of his ankle leaving the two of them hanging on for dear life.

* * *

CODE

* * *

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it. This is the fate that I have chosen for myself and I do not regret anything that I've done. All there is to do, is to just wait till my grip gives out before I plummet to my death. No worries. 

"ANIKI!" Yumi said looking down on his brother before grabbing his hand to pull him up.

_My sister came to save me, how sweet._

Yumi pulled for all that she was worth but found herself losing the tug of war as she too came dangerously close to the hole.

_Why am I still sinking? I know, it's this damn pest that's hanging on my leg. She's adding in all the extra weight._

Despite her losing battle, Yumi continued to pull and did not let go of Jin's arm as she was dragged closer and closer to her own death.

_What is she doing?! If she keeps this up, she'll be dead too! I can't let my sister die but there's something I need to do before I leave this world._

"Yumi!"

"What is it Jin?"

"I want to say thanks. Thank you sis for giving me another chance in life and allowing me to experience this all for myself. "

Yumi did not like the tone of voice that Jin was using. "Aniki, stop saying that. It sounds like the last words of a dead man. Just hang on!"

"You know as well as I do that you can't pull me up. Yumi please, this is for the better."

"STOP SAYING THAT! EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT! DON'T LEAVE ME JIN!" Tears began to form in Yumi's eyes as she began to see what her brother had in store for her,

"Yumi remember this. I will always love you and will be by your side no matter what happens to you."

And that's when I said my last farewells.

"Goodby Yumi"

Jin intentionally let go of Yumi's hand and allowed himself to fall into the black abyss below.

"ANIKI!"

_Now all I have to do is to just wait and brace myself for impact. I hope your proud of me Ghai._

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

Jin suddenly froze in mid-air and saw a white light below him just waiting to catch him. 

_Looks like I'm not going to die after all._

* * *

Yumi, Jin, Odd, Ulrich and Jeremie were all in Jeremie's room watching the boy type at his computer. 

"Well that was a very interesting day." Jin said nonchalantly ignoring the fact that he had yet another brush with death.

"Yeah I can't believe that XANA actually made a clone of Yumi" Ulrich said surprised at how capable of a foe the computer really was.

"And don't forget, he was able to lure us into his trap." Yumi added as to remind the others of her own suffering. "Well least we now know that materialization is indeed possible so get cracking Jeremie."

"Well I knew that Yumi was fake when she started flirting with me."

"What makes you so sure that I'm the real Yumi?" The girl illustrated her question by walking over Jeremie and removing the boy's glasses causing him to blush once again.

"Ok Yumi, that's enough of that" Ulrich said sternly as he wanted the girl to stop with her antics.

"What's the matter Ulrich, jealous?"

Odd and Jin both looked at each other and saw a prime joke opportunity in their reach.

"Ulrich, jealous?" Odd asked faking being shocked.

"Oh God" the two jokers said simultaneouslybefore they both fell backwards mimicking a faint.

Jeremie and Yumi both began to laugh much to Ulrich's dismay.

"Not funny" The boy said with a glum expression on his face.

"Ah lighten up" The group said in unison which once again prompted another long session of laughter.

END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking**

I really don't have much to say here but to thank everyone for their continuing support. I would also like to announce two more miles stones that the Retelling Series has accomplished. First off, the website has reached over one-hundred hits but most importantly, over fifty reviews have been submitted. Ok everyone pat yourselves on the back for a job well done. Now how about some outtakes to celebrate your hard work.

* * *

**Outtakes:**

Jin was thrown in between Odd and Ulrich while their opponents looked over them.

"Is there any way we can win?" Odd asked

"There is one way guys, but its going to be a little unorthodox." Jin said as an idea entered him mind.

"If it involves us winning, then I'm pretty much open for any suggestion." Ulrich said out of fear for his life.

"Well take them on...RPG STYLE!"

Loud orchestrated music began to blare in the background as Odd, Jin and Ulrich stood up.

Odd

HP 80/100  
MP 50/50

Ulrich

HP 110/130  
MP 35/35

Jin

HP 76/132  
MP 60/60

Jin turned and face his comrads. "Ok lets take them out!"

The battle was over in a matter of minutes. Suddenly a blue menu appeared in front of the two boys.

EXP 150

Odd leveled up!  
**Learned:** Break Dance

Ulrich leveled up!  
**Learned:** Soccer kick

Jin leveled up!  
**Learned:** Moonwalker Magic

**Items **None

* * *

**Jin and Yumi vs XANA Take 1**

Jin held his fist and spoke to the imposter.

"Now I don't hit girls"

"Wait a minute you hit little Susie when you were four just because she wouldn't share her juice box."

"Ok, I don't hit normally hit girls NOW"

"No wait, there was the time you..."

"DON'T START WITH ME YUMI!'

Suddenly, Jin was surrounded by countless fans fed up with his treatment of the opposite sex.

"Ah crap. This can't be good.

* * *

**Jin and Yumi vs XANA Take 2**

"Let's take him out!"

"But how Aniki?"

"With plan SF"

"Oh yeah!"

"What's plan SF?" XANA asked.

"This" Jin removed a red bandanna from his pocket and wrapped it around his head while Yumi began to tie her hair into two buns.

Jin placed his wrists together and aimed his palms at his opponents. "HADOKEN!" Soon a blue fireball errupts from his hands and strikes XANA in the chest.

"OUCH!" XANA then took the offensive and went for a jumping attack but Jin was waiting for him.

"SHORYUKEN!" Jin jumped straight into the air and extended his fist which knocked XANA senseless. XANA hit the ground hard and saw Yumi prepare for her attack.

"SPINNING BIRD KICK!"Yumi sprung off the floor and using her palms and spun in the air like a top and floated towards her victim.

"Of all the kids I had to fight. Why did I get the two avid Street Fighter players?!" XANA grumbled to himself as he awaited for his immediate butt kicking.

* * *

Our last outtake was submitted by Dany le fou and is indeed a hilarious one. It's from the episode Cruel Dilemma right when Odd kicks Jin in the face. 

"How's that?" Odd yelled at Jin expecting him to give up after being hit by such a hard strike, but unprepared for the sight: Jin's body was still standing in front of him, but his head was lying a good fifteen feet away. If this had been an anime instead of a french cartoon, you would have a big sweatdrop on his head. "Huh, I think I overdid it."

* * *

**Part Two**

"Nice kick" He said as his mood began to darken. "Now it's my turn." Jin's body went on all four and started to reach around for its head. "Once I get myself together that is."

At this point, Odd thought it would be a better choice to run away, and he did just that.

"Odd!" Jin yelled. "I'm going to kill you if you don't help me! Well, I'm going to kill you no matter what, so come back here!"

His rant was interrupted when his own body knocked him over, sending his head tumbling face first in the mud.

"This is going to be a LONG day."

* * *

**Part Three**

His rant was interrupted by a very unwelcome voice.

"Well, what have we here?"

Looking to the side as much as he could when one cannot turn their neck, Jin saw Dirk and Clayton approaching.

"So, what shall play? Soccer or basketball?" Dirk asked while Clayton smirked.

There was no advice on how to deal with this situation in The Art of War, so Jin did the only thing he could do. "HELP!" he screamed.

* * *

**Words from the Author**

Wow, three fights within the span of two episodes, I must be spoiling you guys rotten. Just to infrom you, the throw that Dirk perfomred is a common throw used in Judo. I've been looking forward to writing the fight between Yumi and XANA's Yumi and with Jin thrown into the mix, the fight was that much sweeter. I wanted to show that the two of them had this "twin sense" where they're able to syncronize their attacks without even talking to each other. I especially love writing team fights since the moves you can use are almost endless, especially considering the different styles Yumi and Jin used.

Oh yeah, hope there are some Dirk fans out there that are happy that he came back in this episode. That guy is really evil huh?

Well that was VERY different from the original episode. Incase you were wondering, Jin was NOT narrating the story. This was an experiment with me as I tried to tell three stories at once. The first was the regular story presented by the episode. Next was Jin's confession while he was hanging for his life and finally there was XANA's search to get into the scanner rooms. Then what I did was have all three stories run into each other when they all confronted each other in the scanner room and when Yumi tried to rescue Jin. Never before did I combine so many different elements into one episode. This chapter had a lot of humor, action, suspense and little bit of mystery.

Ok with Jin's confession, my intention was NOT to have the reader see what Jin was thinking but for them to see HOW he thought. I wanted to get the feeling that the reader can see what was going on in Jin's head and to get a slightly clearer picture of the character's unique thought patteren.

I tried my best to explain why Yumi was in Lyoko by herself and the events leading up to her grand unveiling as Jin found out who she really was. Sorry if I made you guys think that Jin would also be captured by the guardian but hey you think what you think. Well that's all I have to say. Please leave a review and don't forget to check out my site in my profile. Thanks again.


	10. Episode 8: End of Take

**Disclaimer:**

Don't sue PLEEEASE!

**Special Thanks:**

WAHOO! Seventy reviews, that's a whole lot better than zero or two or three. Thank you EVERYONE especially to all my staff members who are helping me in the production of this fic even though I'm not paying them but don't tell them that.

* * *

Episode 8: End of Take 

She was trapped. Despite her best efforts of trying to run away from the abomination that was chasing her, the monster had finally cornered into a small room.The helpless womanpressed herself against the wall as tightly as she could, secretly hoping that she would phase through it like a ghost. The monster licked it's lips with its grotesque tongue and began to taste the air around it. It's meal was only inches away from it. It leaned in close, brandishing its saliva-covered teeth when it suddenly a loud bang was heard just before it fell over. The woman looked at her attacker and noticed a gigantic gaping hole in the monster's body. Then she turned her head and saw both her hero and her lover leaning against the doorway still holding his handgun which was still smoking at the barrel. Overjoyed by her sudden rescue, the woman leapt into her rescuer's arms and shared a passionate kiss with the man she loved.Their lips parted from one another before they walked away from the monster's corpse hand in hand, never to part. The scene faded to blackness and the credits began to roll.

A James Finson film.

* * *

Jeremie rolled his eyes and silently bowed his head in shame. That had to be one of the worst movies he had seen in his life and he could not believe that the principal lacked enough sense, and good taste, to show that piece of garbage to the entire student body of Kadic Junior High. 

Jeremie tried his best to sum up his disgust in two words, "Totally ridiculous."

Ulrich had his own views on the film and decided to use three words instead. "That was great!" The boy said wide-eyed still attentively watching the credits.

"You actually liked that piece of garbage? The plot was weak, the characters were stereotypical and the entire premise was just awful."

"Oh come on Jeremie, just sit back and enjoy the show. It's not everyday that we get to watch a movie in school."

"If I were to do that, I think I'd start to lose IQ points."

"Oh come on Einstein," Odd butted in. He was seated on the opposite side of Yumi and had to lean forward to get a good view of the boy he was talking to. "You got more than enough to spare."

"Well since you're here Odd, mind sharing your views on the movie?"

"Well I thought the special effects were really good."

"Is that why you were chattering your teeth? For the sound effects," Yumi joked at Odd's expense.

Jin too was a little unsatisfied with the movie. He sat in-between Ulrich and Yumi so he too had to lean forward to face Jeremie.

"Man, why couldn't we watch a more classic movie. Aliens in space is a concept that has been done_way_ too many times for my taste."

"Then what would you pick for us to watch?" Jeremie asked, curious about Jin's taste in movies.

"Monthy Python's Quest for the Holy Grail BABY!" Jin then cleared in his throat and began to speak in a regal, British accent, "I command you, as King of the Britains to stand aside!"

Odd recognized the famous line and soon joined in, "I move for no man."

"Now stand aside worthy adversary."

"Tis but a scratch."

"A scratch?! You're arm's off!"

"No it isn't"

"Then what's that then?"

"I've had worse"

"You lie!"

"Come on, you pansy!"

Odd and Jin finished their dialogue and both leaned over Yumi, who was sitting in-between them, and gave each other high fives.

"Man I'm so glad that I found someone else who loves that movie," Odd said while pumping his fist towards the ground. "I tried showing it to Ulrich but he just didn't appreciate the humor."

"Neither did my sister."

Yumi buried her face in the palm of her hand. "Birds of a feather" she said quietly to herself right before she looked up and saw theprincipal walk on stage.

"Hey guys listen up," she said in an effort to get her friends to be quiet.

* * *

"Ladies and gentle," The elderly man's bold voice echoed throughout the school's auditorium. "That was a film by famous director James Finson. He's here right now to talk about his exciting career in the film of cinema."

* * *

"Oh God, he's doing it again," Jin said in despair. 

"Yeah I know, it's like he enjoys the sound of his own voice," Yumi replied slightly impatient with the elderly man.

"Not that sis. He is _still_ wearing that awful brown suit. There is nothing and I mean NOTHING cool about a brown suit."

Yumi buried her face in her palm once more but this time was accompanied by the likes of Ulrich and Odd for they too overheard Jin's comments and wondered how he could get so easily worked up about one man's choice of clothing.

* * *

During the entire move, Clayton was sitting on the edge of his seat. He was already on cloud nine when he found out that the school was going to be playing one of James Finson's films but now they got the man himself to speak to them. That bit of information alone sent the boy's excitement skyrocketing. 

Dirk on the other hand was less enthusiastic. He casually leaned back in his chair, and was just in the auditorium because he had the opportunity to get out of class. Originally, Dirkthought that Clayton came here for that sole reason also, but seeing his large friend's current pattern of behavior made him discard that conculsion. If Dirk didn't know better, he could have sworn that Clayton was actually _enjoying_ the movie. He was mouthing the lines to the film as if he knew every single word of dialogue.

It did not take a genius to figure out what was really going on here.

"You're obviously a fan of Finson huh?" Dirk asked, acting upon his suspicions.

"Of course. I've seen all his movies at least five times and this is my favorite one. "Abomination" is his best work yet!"

"There's no accounting for taste here," Dirk slightly scoffed at his friend's choice of movies but had enough decency to respect his decision.

"So Dirk, what did you think of the film?" Clayton asked, hoping that his friend would see the director's true gift of movie making.

"Horror movies aren't really my forte but I will say the thing held my interest so it wasn't acomplete waste of my time," Dirk said with his eyes closed.

Clayton acknowledged his friend's comments with a small nod before turning his attention towards the stage. Dirk clasped his hands behind his head and adjusted his posture before continuing his little "review".

"I really don't know what makes these movies so special. Now if this was "Enter the Dragon" then I'd be giving the man a standing ovation."

Clayton was too busy staring at the stage as his idol approached the microphone stand.

"Can you be quiet? I want to listen to this."

"Humph." Dirk let a small grunt escape his lips as he tried to get some rest before the presentation was over.

* * *

The esteemed director pried the microphone free before speaking into it. 

"Hi there, for those of you who are wondering, yes I am _the_ James Finson and I'm here to scout for new locations for my next movie. I've heard that there's an old abandoned factory nearby and I think I'll head there for my first stop in my tour of this city. Well that's all I have to say after you guys are dismissed, you can find me in your school's cafeteria where I'll be signing autographs."

* * *

The students crowed the entrance of the cafeteria. The building was still closed off to allow the famous director to take his seat and prepare himself to face his fans. This was indeed a rare event, but something equally as rare was happening nearby. At that given moment, three of Kadic Junior High's most well-known groups were all holding meetings among themselves simultaneously and they all involved Finsion and his latest movie in their agendas.

* * *

Group number one, Sissi's gang. A self-given title conceived by the group's leader. Composed of three members, Sissi, Nicholas and Herb. Mainly know around campus due to the girl's popularity and her unique status of being the principal's daughter. 

Sissi flipped her hair and looked at her two male friends."You two boys are going to see the beginning of my career as an actress."

"How are going to do that?" Nicholas asked.

"I'm going to ask James Finson of course, you numbskull!"

"But Sissi," Herb said trying his best to reason with the star-eyed girl. "If Finson is only here to look for places to shoot his movie, then obviously the casting process had already been completed."

"Well then Herb, after he gets one look at me he'll just have to give me the female lead and drop whateverno-name actress he already has like a ton of bricks."

Herb sighted to himself. There were so many flaws in his friend's plan. It was just destined for failure, but he didn't say anything as not to anger the girl any more.

* * *

Group number two, The Troublesome Duo. Consists of two members, Dirk Kap Hwan and Clayton Mil. Mainly known around campus for their strong arm tactics and decisive acts of cunning. Clayton is feared for his short-temper and strength while Dirk is known for his intelligence and fighting prowess. 

"Let me guess Clayton, you want to get an autograph from the director?"

"Of course."

"You know what? In the nine years that I've known you, this is the first time I find out about your fandom with this guy. What gives?"

Clayton leaned against a nearby tree before he began to tell Dirk about his admiration for Finson. "You remember when we had to do a report on a famous person for our English class last year?"

"Yeah."

"Well I just saw one of James Finson's films and I decided to do my report on him. I started reading up on the guy. He was held back a grade just like we were and he didn't get along with the rest of the students."

"Please don't tell me that because of him, you want to become a movie director," Dirk said coldly.

"No, but reading James Finson's life story did give me hope."

"Hope?!" Dirk said slightly shocked. He could not believe that his large friend could sound so cheesy. "Don't get all sappy here Clayton."

"Look, Finsion was just like us when he was in school and he's now a big shot director. I'm just saying that it's people like him that show us that we still have a chance for making a name for ourselves."

"Whatever Clayton, you think what you want to think. I still got a reputation to defend here."

"What about you Dirk, do you ever think about the future? We can't be in Kadic Junior High forever."

Dirk was slightly taken back by his friend's question but he did his best to mask his shock. "I got my own plans once we're done here but they're for my eyes only."

Clayton sighed to himself. Dirk still had his own secrets that he would not reveal, not even to his best friend.

"So Clayton," Dirk asked his friend once again. "If you're so hopeful about the future, why do you still hang out with me and rough up all the students that gives us a hard time?"

"The same reason that you do Dirk. We've had our fair share of being on the receiving end of the harassment and I think it's time we show these people not to mess with us."

Dirk allowed a small smile to escape from his normally emotionless face. "Looks like my enforcer hasn't gotten soft after all."

* * *

Group number three, The Weirdo Bunch. Title given to them thanks to the efforts of Sissi. Consists of five members: Yumi and Jin Ishiyama, Ulrich, Odd and Jeremie. Popular around campus for many reasons. For one, Ulrich, Odd and Yumi all had their fair share of fans of the opposite sex. Jin also drew attention to the group as his theatrics and over the top antics frequently amused the students of Kadic Junior High. Not to mention having the school intellectual prodigy was a big plus as well. They can usually be scene righting the wrongs of Sissi's Gang and The Troublesome Duo. Yumi served as the unofficial leader of the group since she has the most experience and can keep a level head during the most precarious of situations out ranking her brother despite his position of being the oldest in the group. 

"We gotta find some way to discourage Finson from using the factory for his latest movie," Jeremeis said while adjusting his glasses.

"Yep, with all the cameraman and all that other good stuff that goes into movie making, he'll find out about XANA for sure," Jin tacked on to Jeremie's statement. "Who knows what he will he do once he makes that discovery? But I'll tell you, once he finds out about Lyoko, it will be like the opening of Pandora's Box all over again."

"Well, how do you suppose we get rid of him?" Odd asked, lacking a plan of his own.

Ulrich's eyes suddenly lit up in excitement. "I got an idea!"

"Did I just hear that right?" Odd said while banging his ear with his palm as if he was dislodging an object from the inside of his skull. "Ulrich said he had an idea."

"I did say that Odd, don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

Ulrich waved to his friends goodbye and took his place inside the massive crowd in front of the cafeteria's doors.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Jeremie said as he watched his friend leave their group's company.

Jeremie watched a large bald man open the doors to the cafeteria. Judging from the fact that he had never seen him before and that he was wearing a black tee shirt with the word "security" written across his chest, obviously he wasone of Finson's bodyguards.

"May I have your attention please. James Finson is ready to sign all of your autographs. Please form a single-file line and don't push."

The students complied and eagerly waited for the their turn to meet the director in the flesh.

* * *

J-A-M-E-S 

F-I-N-S-O-N

The director finished signing yet another one of his pictures and handed it back to its original owner. He always loved interacting with his fans for it always reminded him that his work was still appreciated.

"Thank you Mr. Finson!" The student said excitedly before leaving.

"Don't mention it, take care now," the director said cheerfull as he watched yet another satisfied fan leave the cafeteria.

"Next please," Finson called out and saw a young girl with long black hair and wearing a yellow headband standing in front of him, but that was not the first thing he took note of.

"Pink" That was the initial thought that entered James's mind when he saw her. "So much pink."

The girl laid down one of his photographs and he began to sign his autograph once more.

"So who will I address this picture too?"

Sissi flashed a smile at James before delivering her answer, "To Sissi. My number one fan and the girl that I will help propel to stardom by offering her the leading role in my next movie." Sissi was absolutely sure that Finson would agree whole heartedly and give her what she asked for once he saw the sheer amount of charm and beauty that she possessed.

"I think Sissi would suffice."

Sissi stared wide-eyed at the man in front of her. She thought her plan would almost guarantee a part in her movie.

"You know Sissi," James chuckled. "You have a lot of nerve. I already have finished casting for my movie and all the slots have been taken. Maybe next time okay?"

Sissi snatched the photograph from James's possession and stormed out of the cafeteria all while making a huge scene for all the students to see.

"Another satisfied customer," James thought to himself, slightly amused by her confidence. "Ok who's next?"

Suddenly another student approached him. It was a boy this time, dressed in green.

"Do you have a picture for me to sign?" James asked wondering why the boy before him was empty handed.

"No sir, I came here to help. My name is Ulrich."

James soon found himself chuckling after hearing the boy's offer, "I see that this entire school is full of nerve. So, what do you have to offer me?"

* * *

Odd, Yumi, Jin and Jeremie all watched their friend's efforts in getting the director to stay away from the abandoned factory. 

"Oh man, when Ulrich get's an idea in his head I get worried and I do mean _worried_," Odd said slightly afraid of the backlash his friend could cause.

"What do you mean?" Jin asked. He had only known Ulrich for a few months now and was unaware of the danger's one could face when following his advice.

"Let's just say that Ulrich doesn't think of his plans all the way through," Jeremie replied.

"Example."

Odd decided to answer Jin's question, "Well remember when we decided to prank Sissi by using my dog Kiwi?"

Jin thought back to the moment that his friend was describing.

* * *

_"YOU DON'T DO A PRANK THAT INVOLVES YOU BREAKING THE SCHOOL RULES IF YOU'RE MESSING WITH THE PRINCIPAL'S DAUGHTER CAUSE SHE'S GOING TO BURN YOU IN THE END!"_

* * *

"Oh yeah, how could I forget? And if I recall, Sissi found out about Kiwi you were in some serious hot water with Jim and the principal." 

Odd nodded his head and continued his explanation, "Yep, that was Ulrich's idea."

"I can see what your referring to. Now I'm getting scared watching him now."

"Oh come one guys, show a little faith in him," Yumi said while peering through the window. "You know what they say. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sooner or later."

* * *

Ulrich was a little uneasy being in the man's presence. Confronting strangers was not one of his strong points since he liked to keep to himself most of the time. 

"Well you see, I heard that you wanted to visit the abandoned factory later today. Well I can take you there and serve as your guide."

Finson was intrigued by the boy's offer. Maybe he was useful after all.

"Ok you win, meet me here once I'm finished with the rest of these students and we'll head over there together."

"Thank you sir."

James watched Ulrich leave the cafeteria and was relieved that all the strange events that the day held for him already played out.

"I wonder if I'll meet anymore helpful fans?" James asked himself before he heard a loud voice echo across the cafeteria.

"MOVE!" The mysterious voice commanded from the back of the room causing one student to take notice.

The boy did not even bother to face the bossy individual as he already knew that it was just some impatient kid wanting to cut ahead in line.

"Just who do you think you are? If you want to meet Finson, you have to wait in line just like the rest of us!"

"I don't think we have to."

"Listen punk! I've been waiting for an hour now and if you think..." The boy turned around and saw a very angry student tower over him. "OH MY GOD! IT'S DIRK AND CLAYTON!"

The student's instantly parted in front of the Troublesome Duo like the Red Sea thus granting the two individuals uncontested access to the director. Dirk walked in front of Clayton down the isle of students and heard their countless whispers concerning their behavior. It was the usual round of chatter, empty threats to beat him up, rumors about his personal life and even a few blushes from some of the female students in the crowd. It was strange that there were actually some girls who found his brooding look and choice of clothing to be very attractive. Dirk walked by all of these conversations for he didn't care what those strangers thought of him. All he wanted to do was get to Finson and get out of the building.

"So I see that you have some serious muscle here," Finson commented on the spectacle he just saw.

"Mine name is Dirk and this is Clayton. I think you know why we're here."

"Does your friend talk or is he a mute?" Finson asked jokingly.

Clayton couldn't take it anymore. He shoved past Dirk and slammed Finson's picture on the table.

"Mr Finson. I am one of your biggest fans. I'vewatched all your movies at least five times over. "Abomination", "Requiem", "Abyss" you made it I've seen it!"

"Then you must have enjoyed today's viewing then huh?"

"That I did. I especially loved the use of lightingin the final scene. You laminated your female lead, while at the same time,cast an even darker shadow over the alien. Thuscrafting the ultimate scene of good vs evil."

Dirk could hear some students snickering at his friend's knowledge of Finson's films and sought to end it. He turned around and saw a nearby student laughing his head off and grabbed him by the collar.

"You think this is funny kid? Cause I'm not laughing. You better shut your trap or I will make sure that you won't be able to open it again."

The student nervously nodded in agreement while the other occupants remained silent.

Dirk balled his hands into fists and got into his fighting stance.

"Anybody else feel like giggling right now?" Dirk challenged the room. He smiled as he watched a majority of the students back away as not to anger him any further. "That's what I thought."

All of this was going on behind Clayton's back so both he and Finson were not aware of what he was doing. Clayton turned around and faced the director once more, "I wish there was a way I could help in your film."

James held up his hand and halted the boy's offer, "Look I already had a girl who wanted to act and a boy who wanted to be my guide when I head over tothe factory. If you want a piece of the action, you gotta prove to me that you're even worthy of setting foot on my set."

James got up from his chair and walked over to Clayton and stood toe to toe with him. Finson saw out of the corner of his eye that his guards were getting a little uneasy with him being in such close proximity with the large boy.

"Ok now...what's your name?"

"Clayton."

"Ok now Clayton, I'm a generous guy. I'll give you one chance to impress me so make it count. Show me what you got I don't care what it is, just show it to me."

Clayton really didn't know what he could do for the director. It was then that his best friend helped bail him out.

"Clayton here is one of the strongest people I know."

Clayton got the larger picture that Dirk was hinting at. "Maybe I can help life equipment for you?'

"Is that so?" James said slightly impressed. "How strong are you kid?"

"There was this one kid giving him a hard time, so he grabbed the guy by the neck and lifted him off the ground with only one arm," Dirk quietly boasted.

"But that was only a teenager? For him to win over my respects he has to lift something a little larger, like an adult. An adult like me."

"What are you saying?" Clayton asked.

"Let's see if you can pick me up. I wanna see if your strong enough to work on my film."

"Are you serious?!" Clayton said shocked that the man was making such a crazy suggestion.

James really loved moments like these. Moments where he could risk getting hurt in a blink of an eye. He absolutely did not know if this person was indeed friendly, but he didn't care. He just enoyed the adrenaline rush he got whenever he was in a potentially dangerous situation.

"That I am, show me what you got."

Clayton approached the director and stared him directly in the eye as they were roughly the same height. He took a few moments to mentally psyche himself up before he grabbed the man by the collar with both hands. James waved his hand behind him to keep his bodyguards at bay and watched the boy with a smile to see what he was capable of. Clayton tensed his arms and was able hold the director in the air for a couple of seconds before gently setting him back down to the ground.

"Such strength," Finson said amazed by the boy's physical abilities. "You're even stronger than some of people working for me! You're in."

To say that Clayton was excited would be an understatement. "Really?! Thank you Mr. Finson!" Clayton then removed a small piece of paper from his backpack and jotted down a series of numbers and handed the crude note to his idol. "This is my cell phone number, call me when you need me to work."

James pocked the note and faced the large boy, "But you're friend has to stay. I'm only taking people that I have a use for and I don't think I'll be in need of his services anytime soon."

Clayton looked back at his friend and was slightly disappointed but saw him shrug his shoulders.

"Doesn't really matter to me," Dirk said nonchalantly. "Let's just get out of here."

Dirk turned around and walked towards the door followed closely by Clayton leaving the rest of the students behind to ponder the sight they just saw.

* * *

"Man are you watching this?" One student said. 

"They're really good," Another gasped in awe.

James Finson wasn't the only person drawing a mass audience that day. A majority of the students who already had their pictures autographed were now standing in a large circle, along with Yumi and Jeremie, minus the company of two boys. Those missing individuals were in the middle of the large circle and were both breakdancing.

Those two boys were Odd and Jin.

It started off as an innocent way to kill time. First Odd asked Jin to teach him how to Moonwalk. Then Jin asked Odd to showcase some of his favorite dance moves. Before they knew it, their little "show and tell" session grew into a full fledged dance battle that was drawing in more students with each minute that ticked by.

"I thought you only knew how to dance like Michael Jackson?" Odd asked slightly impressed with Jin's skills.

"I never said I didn't know any other styles of dance."

"Let me guess, your friends in America."

"But of course."

Odd got into a pushup position and began spinning on both his shoulders with his legs in a V position performing a common breakdance maneuver called the windmill. Jin responded kindly by doing a single-arm handstand and spinning on the palm of his right arm before landing on his feet and jumping in the air throwing all his weight behind him. The crowd watched Jin's attempt at the backflip as his body was now perfectly perpendicular to the ground. Jin looked at the students watching him and saw a familiar green outline in his vision.

"Hey it's Ulrich!" Jin exclaimed in mid-flip happy to see that his friend made it back from Finson with news to report. Too bad he forgot all about his dance battle with Odd and the risky maneuver he was currently doing.

THUD!

"OooOO," The crowd said in union, winching in pain knowing full well that indeed that was not a pleasant experience. They watched his body slump over until he was lying flat on his face before walking away ,

"That's my Aniki," Yumi said while shaking her head. "The Master of Disaster."

Odd walked over to Jin and helped himstand up. "Let me guess, you never done a move like that before huh?"

"Nope, just thought it would be cool if I could pull it off."

"Figures."

Jin slowly got up and rotated his neck in a circle to remove the stiff feeling he had in the area before turning his head to Ulrich. "So how did it go my friend. I take it that you sent Finson packing."

Ulrich was a little uneasy with his answer since he had yet to deliver the desired results. "Actually, Finson is still going to the factory."

"WHAT?!" Came the shocked reply from the rest of his friends.

"Chill out guys and let me finish. I offered to take him there myself and show him around the place. I'll make sure he stays away from the elevator so he won't find out about XANA and Lyoko. In the meantime, I'll feed him a bunch of lies so that he will indeed be "sent packing" as Jin would put it."

Jeremie decided to add his own variation to Ulrich's plan, "Though that plan might actually work, I still feel a little uncomfortable having a stranger in the factory. Do you mind if we watch your little "tour" from afar. Don't worry, we'll try our best to stay out of sight."

"I don't see what the problem is," Ulrich said while shrugging his shoulders.

"Ok then it's settled. We'll head to the factory now and find a good vantage point. Make sure that Finson does not arrive at the factory before us. Do anything you can to slow him down. We'll call you once we're ready for your arrival."

Odd smugly walked up to Ulrich with his hands in his pockets, "Oh man Ulrich, I can't wait to see your persuasive speaking skills. If you're plan fails miserably then at least I'll get a good laugh in the end."

"You're so supportive," Ulrich said flatly as he watched his friends walk towards the park.

* * *

"Ok Jeremie, where are going to hide?" Odd asked. The remaining four members were now in the factory and were scanning the vicinity for an ideal place to conceal themselves from Finson's vision. 

Jeremie pointed to a ledged near the elevator shaft that was not too high off the ground, "Up there"

Yumi looked at the direction that Jeremie was pointing to and was a little confused. "How are we going to get up there?"

"Simple, there's a nearby ladder that will take us there. All we have to do is climb it."

Jeremie lead the group to the ladder and began his accent. Upon reaching the top, Jin leaned against a nearby iron beam and pulled out his cell phone so that he could get in contact with Ulrich.

"Yo Ulrich, Finson bothering you?"

"Not yet, he's still in the cafeteria but I can see that he's down to his last few autographs."

"How fortunate for you. We've just gotten into position in the factory so you can bring your friend over anytime now."

"That's good."

Ulrich looked up and saw the director walk towards him. "Looks like you called just in the nick of time. Finson is making his way towards me which means we'll be at the factory in no time. See you later."

Ulrich was the first to hang up and left behind a dull ring in Jin's ears. The boy then pocked his cell phone and faced the rest of the group.

"So what's going on?" Odd asked the Japanese boy.

"Finson will be here any moment now."

"So anybody here have a good backup plan if slash when Ulrich's scheme falls apart?" Odd asked turning to the rest of his friends.

"I got it!" Jin said while snapping his fingers. "We have Ulrich lure Finson right below us right before we jump down and start beating him up like ninjas. Then he'll HAVE to leave. He would be leaving in a stretcher but he'll be leaving none the less."

"I don't think that's a good plan," Yumi said while facing the factory's gigantic double doors.

"Ok, ok, ok new plan."

"What is it this time?"

"We have Ulrich lure Finson right below us right before we jump down and start beating him up like a_samurai_. Oh yeah, I mean come on, ninjas? What was I thinking? A samurai is much better suited for this plan."

Yumi ignored Jin's attempt at humor and instead focused on the factory's doors once more. She saw a ray of light enter the factory as two shadows stood in the doorway, that could only mean one thing.

"Ulrich and Finson are here," Yumi said out loud right before being hushed by the group.

* * *

"Wow, look at this place. It's perfect!" Finson exclaimed as he looked around the large factory. 

"You think it's perfect, but the place is paretically falling apart. The wall are crumbling and the foundation is getting weaker. Any moment now the wholebuilding could come crashing down on our heads. We should really be getting out of here now."

"Nonsense, we're staying. I love a dangerous shoot and the constant threat of having a building collapse on me only sweetens the pot."

Ulrich couldn't believe his ears, if a normal person were to hear that, they wouldn't hesitate to get away from the place but James Finson saw this risk as an _invitation_ to shoot his film here. Ulrich had to think of another excuse to get him to leave.

"But what's really scary about this place is all the rats that live here."

"Did you say rats?" Finson asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Ulrich said hopefully thinking that he triggered some sort of subconscious fear of rats in the man.

"I was actually going to call the studio to send some rats over for a few scenes but since we got an abundant supply here looks I won't have to make that request."

* * *

Odd slapped himself in the forehead. "Man this thing is sinking faster than Titanic, HEY ULRICH mmph mmmph" Odd soon found his mouth covered by Yumi and Jeremie as he almost blew their cover.

* * *

"What was that?" The director asked after hearing a humanoid voice. 

"Oh that was the ghosts, they say that this place is haunted."

"Haunted! Man this building keeps getting better and better."

* * *

Falling walls? Rats? _Ghosts_?! It was obvious that Ulrich did not possess the gift of the gab. Jin winced in pain after hearing all the pathetic lies that Ulrich spewed out in order to draw James away from the factory. Not able to contain his emotions any further Jin turned around and threw a wild punch in the air to release some of his anxiety. 

Too bad he forgot about the metal pole that he was originally leaning against.

* * *

KLANG! 

"Now what could that be?" James asked once again after hearing the loud metallic noise echo throughout the factory.

"Told you the place is falling apart."

Finson walked by the elevator and peered inside. "So where does this freight elevator lead to?"

"Oh that thing. It stopped working ages ago. It would be a miracle if it were to work again." Ulrich saw yet another opportunity to try to drive the director away and quickly acted upon it. "You know, I heard rumors that there's nothing but old barrels of toxic waste down there."

Finson ignored the boy's last remark and approached him while placing his hand on his shoulder.

"You weren't kidding when you said you know this place inside out. How about you help me with this film, you could be a technical advisor."

* * *

"Please, please, please," The four friends pleaded in unison.

* * *

"Ok," Ulrich said smiling at the director. 

"That's great to hear but you do know we have to talk to theprincipal since you will be missing an entire day of school."

* * *

"YES!" Yumi, Odd and Jeremie cried out in celebration before covering their mounts with their own hands to try to keep themselves quiet. 

Odd was the first one to speak once he saw Ulrich and Finson leave the factory as quickly as they entered. "This is going to be SO COOL!"

"But he's still using the factory Odd." Jeremie said still concerned about having their secret discovered.

Yumi noticed that her brother was unusually quiet at this joyous moment and wanted to find out why, "Is there something wrong Jin?"

"I think I punched that beam a little to hard," Jin said as he looked at his right hand. "Guess I'll have to pay the infirmary a visit."

Odd was the first to look at Jin's hand for a closer inspection, "That doesn't look too good."

Jin's knuckles were black and blue and were slightly bleeding. The overall sight wasn't very pleasant but at the same time, the injury looked pretty light. A visit to Nurse Dorothy wouldn't hurt. Jin drew his fist into his jacket's sleeve concealing it from view.

"So now what?" Jin asked trying his best to ignore the pain signals that his body was sending him.

"Well seeing that the whole fiasco with Finson is over, we might as well make sure you arrive to the infirmary safely so that you don't acquire anymore injuries," Jeremie said slightly amused.

* * *

"Hello Nurse Dorothy," Jin said in a cheery voice while waving his left hand. He made sure that he befriended the nurse since he realized that he might me making a lot of trips to the infirmary sometime in the near future. 

Jin looked back at his friends and nodded, letting them know that he wasn't in need of their escort.

"Hello Jin, do you need my help?"

"That I do," Jin removed his right from its hiding place and showed it to Dorothy.

The nurse glanced at the injury before going to the infirmary's refrigerator to get an ice pack.

"Here, place this on your hand, it will help control the swelling. Now let me get a closer look at it."

Jin held up his hand and allowed Dorothy to further inspect it. Aside from the blue and brown marks the decorated the boy's knuckle and a small amount of blood smeared over them, it looked relatively normal.

"You're fortunate Jin...no broken bones."

"I get that a lot, I must be a really lucky guy." Jin tried balling his hand into a fist to see how much he could maneuver it but winched in pain after moving his fingers.

Dorothy saw Jin's reaction and walked over to a small drawer in her shelf not too far away that was marked with the word "Anaesthetics" and removed a set of pills from it. She then grabbed a glass from another shelf and filled it with water. Because the drawer was near the bed that Jin was sitting on, he was able to examine its contents and noticed a small brown bottle. Once he read the label he became inquisitive about its presence in the drawer.

"Why do you have that bottle in there? Wasn't the use of that substance discontinued after they found safer solutions?"

"Don't worry Jin, I don't use that stuff on my patients. I just keep it there as a relic of ancient medical history to remind myself that the science is always changing and evolving for the better."

"Well that's good" Jin forgot about his pain and tried balling it once more only to retract his fingers in agony.

"Well looks like you're in a lot of pain. Here, these are some mild painkillers."

Jin held up his left hand to stop her advance.

"That's ok, I think I can manage. I'm not a big fan of that sort of thing unless I'm totally ravaged by pain. I prefer to just bite the bullet and suffer through."

Dorothy was confused by the boy's actions. She never had a student refuse her help in any way shape or form. However, when Jin said that, he looked real serious as if his pain was in his heart rather than just his fist.

"Would you mind if I ask why?"

Jin continued to stare at his hand while he applied pressure to it using the ice pack the nurse gave him. "I prefer not to nullify my pain so that I can always remember the mistakes I made before."

Dorthy realized that she was about to tread on a very touchy subject with the boy and wisely decided to cease her questioning. Jin's injury was light so she could allow him not to take the painkillers if he really didn't want to.

"Well that's all I can do for you. Just keep the ice pack on and you're hand will be fine in a few hours. Have a nice day."

Jin slowly walked to the infirmary's exit but stopped once he got to the doorway.

"Thanks," Jin said right before he left the room. Dorothy heard his word of gratitude and figured out that he was not referring to his medical treatment but to the fact that she did not probe into his personal secrets any further.

"I'll never understand that boy," Dorothy said quietly to herself as she began to log in his visit.

* * *

Ulrich and James stood in front of the waiting room of the principal's office and prepared themselves to try to persuade the man himself. Ulrich looked up at the older man and saw Finson slap himself in the forehead. 

"Oh man I almost forgot. I need to call the other student that I promised to have help me."

The statement floored Ulrich. He thought that he was the only person from Kadic Junior High that was going to be helping Finson. Guess he was mistaken. Now he had to worry about his" little helper" getting in his way.

"Other student?"

"You heard me correctly, I'm calling him now, so please give me a moment."

Ulrich watched James pull out his cell phone along with a small piece of white paper and walk away. Ulrich hoped that this "other student" wasn't Sissi, then that would defiantly be a nightmare for him. James suddenly appeared in Ulrich's field of vision and began to talk to him.

"Glad that's done. He's nearby and will be here shortly."

Ulrich let out a sigh of relief when he heard James say "He" meaning that Sissi was not going to be with him.

"Hey, there he is now!" James said while looking up at the large boy walking towards him.

Ulrich turned his head in the direction that James was looking at and his heart sank. The student that was helping Finson out was a MILLION times worse than Sissi.

"Ulrich, this is Clayton. He's going to be lending his strength to our production."

Clayton stared a hole straight through Ulrich.

"Hello Ulrich," Clayton greeted his enemy calmly.

"Hello Clayton," Ulrich responded not so kindly also.

"Ah I see you two know each other. Now I don't have to go through all the trouble of introducing you guys to each other," Finson said with a smile too bad Ulrich and Clayton weren't as happy.

Ulrich really had to struggle to contain the rage burning inside of him. There was no way he was going keep Clayton under wraps but he had to try. The fate of Lyoko and Aelita's life rested upon it.

Clayton too was wrestling with his emotions. He so wanted to punch Ulrich's face in but that would jeopardize his position in working with his idol. These two enemies had to learn how to get along if they were going to stay in Finsons's production.

James saw both of his recruits calm down a bit and made his way inside the principal's office.

* * *

The principal stopped reading the documents he had in his hand to greet the latest occupant in his office. 

"Hello there Mr. Finson. What can I do for you?"

"Well I've decided to shoot my movie in the factory so I guess I will be staying in this town a bit longer."

"Well congratulations on your recent development. I'm sure that old building will prove to be an excellent set for your latest project."

"Well that's what I want to talk to you about. You see, two of your students have requested to lend their aid in the production of my latest movie and if they were to work with me, they would have to miss a few days of school. I wanted to know if it was ok with you to allow them to go."

At that moment, the principal finally noticed that Finson did not arrive in his office alone as he saw Ulrich and Clayton standing right by his side.

"Boys I appreciate your enthusiasm, but what jobs can you do that is so important for the two of you to miss school."

"Actually," Ulrich replied trying his best to sound professional and calm. "Finson wants me to be a technical advisor for his movie since I know the ins and outs of the factory."

Clayton soon took his cue and supplied his own answer on why he was needed.

"Finson said he needed more people who could lift heavy equipment and he said that I fit that role nicely."

Once Clayton finished his statement, he silently thanked his friend Dirk for keeplng up the image that they were regular students at Kadic Junior High.It would have been a lot harder for him to convince the principal if he ever got wind of his "extra" activities.

The man was taken back by the responsibilities that the two students were willing to accept. He thought that they would be performing menial tasks such a filing paperwork or running errands for the crew. Not jobs like these.

"Is this true?" He asked wanting to confirm Ulrich and Clatyon's stories.

"But of course. Why would they lie to you?"

"Mr. Finson, asPrincipal of this school I can not allow these two boys to go work on your movie."

"But sir.." James pleaded, trying his best to win over the elderly man.

"Look, Ulrich and Clayton's parents paid their tuition money so that their sons can receive the best education that we are able to provide. I can't just let them leave school just to work on a movie." The elderly manturned his attention to the two boys, "Believe me when I say this, but its for your own academic good."

Finson figured that he may have to grease the principal's palms a bit if he wished to enlist the aid of Ulrich and Clayton.

"If you let them come with me, I'll put your name in the credits."

"My decision is final Mr. Finson. Good day." The principal emphasized the "good day" portion of his answer indicating that his part in the conversation was now over.

* * *

The trio left the principal's office all saddened by thehis refusal. 

"Man I can't believed he said no. I offered to put his name in the credits and everything."

Ulrich was desperate to work on Finson's movie. It was his fault that he was even filming in the factory in the first place so the least they could do was keep an eye on the gigantic mess he made.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do?"

"Well if you don't have his permission, then that doesn't leave us with too many options."

"I think I can help you with that," came a female voice that all three individuals recognized with ease.

Finson looked up at saw the familiar girl with the headband that he previously saw in the cafeteria.

"So much pink," he silently thought to himself before speaking, "And what makes you think that you can sway his judgement to favor us? I offered to credit him in my movie and he flat out refused."

"Well he is my father after all but if I help you, I expect you to return the favor also."

James, Ulrich and Clayton all saw where this was going and bowed their heads. The three of them really didn't have much of a say in things as they were at Sissi's mercy.

Sissi flashed a victory smile at the three males and walked towards her father's office.

"Don't worry, this won't take too long."

Ulrich looked at Clayton before turning his head towards Sissi. Now he had to work with TWO of his enemies. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking through with his plans once again and waited for Sissi's arrival.

* * *

Odd sat on the floor of his room and was busy playing with Kiwi while Jeremie watched him from the corner of the room. Yumi and Jin had long since left for home but not before checking in with them to see how things were going. Jin wanted to leave so that he could rest his hand while Yumi followed so that she could catch up on her sleep. 

"So Einstein," Odd said while petting his beloved dog, "Do you think Ulrich will do a good job in guarding our secret?"

"Well he has to.He either succeeds or Lyoko and Aelita are done for."

Odd was slightly surprised in frankness in his friends's reply. "My, aren't we the troubled one here today."

"Sorry Odd, I know I should have faith in Ulrich, but I'm just worried that's all. Ironic isn't it?"

"What?"

"That at this moment, our worst enemy is human and we're actually _protecting_ XANA from their prying eyes."

The dorm's doors opened and revealed a worried looking Ulrich standing in the hallway.

"This can't be good," Odd said to himself as he watched his friend take a seat on the floor nearby.

"So what did theprincipal say about you missing school?" Jermeie asked wanting to dispel any doubts.

"Well he said yes."

"ALRIGHT! ULRICH THE TECHNICAL ADVISOR!" Odd picked up Kiwi and spun in circles to commemorate this event.

"If you got the job, then why do you look so unhappy?" Jeremie asked still having some burning questions to ask.

"Because Finson hired two other students that I think you won't be thrilled to hear about."

"Other students? Like who?"

"Clayton for one."

"CLAYTON!?" Odd and Jeremie gasped in unison.

Odd quickly stopped spinning and gently set Kiwi done before asking his own set of questions. "Wait a minute, you're actually telling me that the principal oked Clayton's release? I thoughthe would flat out refuse his request with all the trouble he's caused."

"I thought so too but you gotta factor Dirk into the equation."

"Dirk?"

"Because of Dirk, he and Clayton have been able to conceal their strong arm tactics from the school's faculty all while faking an image that they're good students."

"So that's why they're not causing any more problems in our classes. They're faking out our teachers but that's all the bad news you have for us right Ulrich?"

"Nope, there's one more"

"Oh no, please let it not be Dirk," Jeremie pleaded.

"It's not Dirk but she's just as bad."

"Ulrich, when you said she, you don't mean..."

Ulrich nodded his head. "Finson agreed to let Sissi be in his film in exchange for theprincipal allowing us to go off campus."

"It seems like with every minute that passes by, your plan keeps getting worse and worse."

Unlike Jeremie, Odd actually found an ounce of humor in his friend's predicament. "Ulrich and Sissi quite a romantic couple I'd say."

"So what happens now?" asked Jeremie.

"Well, Finson told us that we're going to be staying inside the factory for the entire shoot so I'm here to get some things for the "wonderful" night I'll be spending there but don't worry, I'll do my best to stay in touch with you guys to let you know how things are going back there."

"Well you wouldn't have a hard time keeping people away from the elevator."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, before we left the factory, I made sure to close the shutters over it as not to draw to much attention to the areat."

"Thanks Jeremie."

"Hey I just realized something" Odd exclaimed which instantly put Ulrich and Jeremie at a sate of unease. "You're going to spend an entire night alone with Sissi in the factory. Man won't Yumi be the jealous one."

"Real funny Odd."

Ulrich walked over to his closet and removed a medium sized duffel bag and began filling it with an assortment of cloths, bathroom supplies and other various items that he would think that he would need and walked out of the room. He walked toward the building's entrance and saw Clayton leaning against the wall wearing his usual "tough guy" look and holding a similar looking duffel bag in his right hand. Working with Clayton could have its problems so Ulrich thought it would be in his best interest to try to "befriend" his enemy.

"Look Clayton, if the two of us are going to be working with Finson, we have to come to a truce. As long as we're in the factory, we don't start any confrontations with one another. I stay out of your business if you stay away from mine."

Ulrich figured if Clayton would leave him alone then he would have an easier time guarding the factory's secrets.

Clayton had to use all the self-restraint he could muster to not throw a punch at Ulrich. He could not believe the audacity the boy had to try to come to a compromise with him after all the suffering he caused. However, Clayton realized that if he were to engage Ulrich in combat, then he would most defiantly lose the once in a lifetime chance of working with James Finson. As much as he hated to admit it, he had to accept Ulrich's offer of peace.

"Deal," Clayton said, scornfully looking at the boy. "But once the movie is finished, it's over so you better start watching your back."

A sly smile spread across Ulrich's lips. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Clayton noticed a slender figured behind Ulrich and walked towards the building's exit.

"Looks like you ignored my advice." Clayton chuckled to himself before walking outside and disappearing from Ulrich's sight completely.

"Oh Ulrich dear," Cooed a female voice behind. Ulrich already identified the speaker knowing that there was only one person in this entire school that would call him "Ulrich dear".

"What is it Sissi?"

"Can you please be a gentlemen and help me carry a few of my items to the factory?"

Ulrich trained his vision to a stack of boxes lying right next to the girl and let out a small sigh. "A few items huh? Looks like she dragged her entire room with her," He thought to himself.

"Don't worry, this is only half the stuff I intended to bring. I only brought what I thought would be absolutely necessary."

"Thank you for you kindness," Ulrich allowed a hint of sarcasm to escape alongside the statement which Sissi was able to detect.

"Hey don't forget that it was because of me that you're working on this movie in the first place. If you don't want me to change my father's mind again then you better help carry these boxes."

Ulrich lifted the packages and struggled to keep them balanced in his arms.

"Next time, I'll leave the planning to Dirk, Jeremie, Yumi, Jin and Sun Tzu," he thought to himself before walking out of the door with Sissi.

* * *

Fortunately for the overworked boy, the factory was within walking distance from the school. Ulrich was still struggling with Sissi's belongings and was surprised to seethat he went all this way without dropping a single box. Clayton walked behind the group not wanting to associate with them. Once again, he was quiet and walked slowly towards the factory noticing Ulrich's plight. Clayton was rather entertained by the site rather than concerned and didn't offer to help the boy. Sissi ignored what was going on behind her and boldly marched towards the factory. 

"Consider yourself to be lucky Ulrich and Clayton. The two of you are about to whiteness the birth of my successful acting career. Don't worry, when I get famous and have fans all around the world, I'll be sure to remember you two."

Sissi stopped her victory march when she saw a woman wearing glasses sitting at a desk with two large men dressed in suits on both sides of her.

"Do the three of you have any cell phones on you?" She asked in a serious tone of voice.

"Of course, what kind of self-respecting person in this day and age would not have one?" Sissi pulled out her own cell phone to verify her thesis.

"Confiscated!" The woman said sharply extending her hand which just demanded it to be filled with the offending object.

"WHAT?!" Sissi was shocked with how forceful the woman became right before noticing a large cardboard box in front of her.

"Place you cell phones here."

Sissi complied with the woman's demands but not quietly. She stomped her foot and let out a loud huff of disgust before placing her phone in the box. Ulrich was able to fish his phone from his pocket all while carrying the ridiculous amount of boxes he was holding, which was no easy task. Clayton followed suit and showed no hostility while performing the act for all he cared about was working with Finson. He looked up and saw middle-aged man walk over to their little group.

"Hello there my name is Daniel Robinson. Mr. Finson instructed me to show you around the place."

Daniel noticed that all three children were carrying their luggage and thought it would be hard for them to walk around the factory if they were holding these large bags.

"You can place your items in that area over there." Daniel pointed towards a section of the factory that was crowded with bags and was guarded by several people. "Don't worry, you're possessions are safe with us."

Ulrich was delighted when he heard the news and eagerly set off to rid himself of Sissi's "necessities" .

Daniel watched the kids place their bags in the area before resuming his tour.

"Follow me."

The group walked in silence for a few minutes before Ulrich asked the first question.

"So why does Finson not want to have cell phones on his set?"

Clayton could have easily answered that question knowing all of the director's habits inside and out but choose to remain silent.

"It's a safety precaution. Mr. Finson is afraid that some of his employees would leak information about the movie out to the press so he keeps everyone on set until the shoot is completed. We pretty much live and work here. It's a lot of fun." Daniel tacked the last statement on as not to discourage Finson's latest "workers".

Ulrich was worried. Without his cell phone, he couldn't contact his friends incase there was trouble. He just had to get it back.

"What if something bad happens here and we need to call our parents?"

"When you're working with Finson, there are no problems."

Sissi was once again having the time of her life at Ulrich's expense. The only thing better than her becoming an actress, was all the time she had with Ulrich.

"It's just you and me Ulrich. Cut off from the rest of society with no one but each other to provide companionship. This is so romantic."

Ulrich rolled his eyes when he saw Sissi's dreamy look. "I'm thrilled," he said in a monotone voice before walking away from her.

* * *

Clayton leaned against a nearby iron beam and tried his best to contain his excitement. At this given moment. At this given time. He was actually working on a James Finson movie. This was almost too good to be true. He then heard several labored grunts nearby and saw a two men lifting a very heavy box before setting it down. 

"Man this thing is heavy," The first worker commented while wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Where are the other two guys who were supposed to be helping us carry this thing?"

"Arnold and Lance had to go help set up something out back."

"Great, just great. Well we gotta keep moving. This box is not going to move itself you know."

Clayton slowly walked his way towards the two tired workers seeing this as an opportunity to show his worth.

"Need a hand?"

"Sure just..." The first worker looked at Clayton's facial features and turned away. "You're just a kid and what on Earth are you doing here?"

"James Finson invited me. Just let me help."

The second worker chuckled at the boy's offer. "Let him try. I could sure go for a laugh right now."

The worker's friend nodded in agreement and they both picked up the box on opposite sides. Clayton grabbed the longer edge of the rectangular box and leaned it towards him so that he took the brunt of the weight. The three lifters slowly walked over to a large object hidden behind a white sheet and gently set the box down.

"Wow kid, I gotta hand it to you, you really helped us out back there. What's your name?"

"Clayton Mil"

The second worker recognized his name and snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute I know this guy! Finson told us that he was brining over a kid from the local school to help us lift objects around this dusty old place. He said you were strong and he wasn't kidding about you. Welcome to the team."

"Thanks."

Clayton watched the two workers open the box and saw that it contained a several wires and computers.

"So what is this for?"

"That." The worker pointed to the large object covered by a white blanket.

Clayton saw out of the corner of his eye the esteemed director walk up to the sheet.

"Can I have your attention please people." All of a sudden, the entire production staff of the movie began to crowd around Finson. "I am about to show you my latest masterpiece so sit back and be amazed by my creative genius once more."

Finson removed the covers and revealed a horrific green alien that was attached to series of wooden planks that were holding it upright. It's skeleton bulged out of its skin dark green as one could see every bone in painstakingly detail. The alien's head was the most horrific of all which was very long and allowed it to have an a equally large jaw that just threatened to eat you if you got too close.

"This is the latest in animatronic technology as we can now operate this thing with computer now."

Ulrich looked at the alien and was less impressed. Sure it _looked _scary but that was not the point here. It's just that he's seen this design before.

"You know, that monster looks a lot like the one from the movie..."

"Do not say that about MY creation!" Finson interrupted the boy. "I pride myself knowing that all my movies are original and that I do not and I repeat DO NOT copy from other works of film!"

Finson stormed away from the set leaving Ulrich behind with a puzzled look on his face.

Ulrich felt a hand on his shoulder and looked only to see Daniel's smiling face.

"Don't worry, we all noticed that too. Finson is real sensitive about having his work being compared to other movies. I guess this is my fault since I forgot to warn you about that."

"Wait Mr. Finson!" Sissi yelled out stopping the man in his tracks. "Can I see my script? We professionals have to get our lines memorized."

"Just give me a minute." Finson removed a small index card from his blazer's jacket and quickly scribbled the desired information before handing it to Sissi.

The girl took one good look at her "lines" before screaming in terror.

"AHHH!" Sissi turned the card around and revealed that indeed that was her only line in the movie.

"Hey you got it," Finson said slightly impressed. "You're going to be the alien's fist victim. Twenty seconds of glory. Gory glory too."

If only Finson could see the glaring look Sissi was giving him. Maybe he would have been more generous and add in an extra five seconds of screen time for her.

* * *

Nighttime overtook the factory surprising all of its occupants. Working on Finson's movie proved to be an exciting experience as they failed to realize how quickly time had flew by. Daniel was soon on the ledge that Yumi, Odd, Jeremie and Jin used to spy on Ulrich and Finson earlier that day and had a megaphone in his hand. 

"Ok folks, it's getting pretty dark outside. We might as well call it a day and get some rest."

Daniel watched from his perch the flurry of activity that was occurring on the factory's floor as the various workers began to pitch the tents provided for them by the studio.

"And so concludes the first day of work." Daniel said as he returned to the floor to join his co-workers.

* * *

"WHAT?!" The movie's technical advisor said in a voice that was laced with both shock and disgust.

"You heard me, I said we only have one tent left. Looks like the two of you will have to share. You were just too slow my friends. It's first come first served." The man at the desk said.

Ulrich took the tent and the supplies and walked away with Sissi by his side. There was nothing he could do about this development and had to make the best of the situation, even if that best involved spending a night with Sissi.

"I can't believe this is happening to me." Ulrich said in disbelief seeing how his fortune was not playing out in his favor.

"Me neither," Sissi cooed into his ear for the second time that day.

Ulrich brushed the girl's comments away and began to set up their means of shelter for the night. "If Yumi ever found out about this, she'swouldhave my head on a stick."

Ulrich finished the assembly of the humble living quarters before unrolling his sleeping blanket inside the tent.

* * *

Now. 

Now was the perfect time to act. Its victims have turned in for the night and allowed it to roam the factory and do whatever it wished. Today's plan called for the destruction of its enemies along with a little irony thrown into the mix. What better to destroy its enemies than with an instrument that is primary used for entertainment and recreation.

* * *

Dirk lie in his bed and stared at the ceiling of his room. He was plagued with an uneasy feeling that was constantly nagging him in the back of his mind which drove away all desires to sleep. Ever since Clayton left, Dirk had yet to receive a call from his friend which was strange since he was always so prompt in doing so. It was more of a safety plan that the two of them thought up of. When you were the two most hated kids on the campus of Kadic Junior High, it's a good idea to know where your friends are at incase things got out of hand. Dirk quickly got out of bed and changed into his normal school clothes, a pair of black dress shoes and slacks along with a black button up dress shirt which he quickly checked in the mirror before opening his door to venture outside. 

Dirk quietly crept around the dorm's hallways and go to the exit before realizing that he overlooked a crucial fact about Finson. He always had bodyguards around him and most likely, he would have some posted around the factory to protect the people inside thus preventing him from entering.

"Looks like I'm ill prepared at this moment. I need some extra supplies if I wish to overcome this "slight" obstacle." Dirk quickly entered his room once more to get a few key items that was crucial for his success.

Dirk's dark attire allowed him to stalk to and fro around the campus of Kadic Junior High under the cloak that the night sky draped over him. He quickly darted from tree to tree and concealed himself as best as he could all while trying to make his way to his desired destination. He looked at the building's familiar red cross symbol before approaching the door. Dirk reached into his backpack and removed his trusty lock pick which he did not hesitate to use to the building's door. Dirk was lucky that night, for the principal had to replace the alarm system on that particular building so it was virtually defenseless and was easy an easy target for the cunning individual standing outside its doorway. With a few more turns made using the device, he heard a distance click on the other end signaling that he was now free to enter. Dirk then approached another lock door and repeated the process all over again before he could step inside the room he was looking for all this time.

The infirmary.

Seeing how it was too dark for him to see, Dirk removed a flashlight from his backpack and used it to scan the infirmary to search for the last item he needed for him to gain access to the factory. The light's beam came across a small drawer labeled "Anaesthetics", The sight of the drawer alone caused the side of his lips to curl producing a devilish grin.

"Good thing Dorothy keeps all her medical supplies neatly organized," Dirk commented before rummaging through the drawer. A small brown bottle caught his attention immediately causing him to pick it up. Dirk took one good at the bottle's label before placing it into his backpack and closing the drawer behind him.

"Perfect," He congratulated himself before running out of the infirmary and towards the factory to complete his mission.

* * *

Dirk was not the only one with insomnia issues. Ulrich too had troubled sleeping in his sky blue tent. It deeply bothered him that he had yet to establish contact with his friends letting him know of his current progress. There was only one way he could get in touch with his friends. It was very risky but it was the only way he could do so. Ulrich pulled his sleeves through his green over shirt and laced his shoes before leaving Sissi behind.

* * *

Sissi could not catch a wink of sleep. Here she was, in the middle of an abandoned factory alone in the_ same tent_ with the object of her desire. She could do anything she wanted. Tell him all of her deepest darkest secrets, reveal her true feelings for him or, if she was that daring, lean over and give him small kiss on the cheek. The possibilities were virtually endless and the thoughts frazzled her mind. She wrestled with his inner feelings whether to seize this glorious moment or to just let it slip through her grasp and hope that she would get another chance in the near future. 

It was then she heard Ulrich leave.

He was hiding something from her she just knew. He had this worried expression on his face all day and we went out of his way to make sure that people stayed away from the factory's freight elevator. Maybe this factory shared a connection with the "Weirdo Bunch's" secrets. Well there was only one way to find out and that was by following Ulrich into the darkness.

* * *

Brandon really hated the night shift. Out of all the people in the factory that could have done this job Finson just _had_ to choose him. He didn't even know why he accepted the job. He honestly hated working for the director. The hours were long, the pay was low and the guy was a paranoid megalomaniac. There were so many things he wished he could have said to his face. Things like, "You can take this job and shove it!" Or "Forget this. I quit!" But no, he just had to say yes sir like an obedient little dog. Oh well, he should just sit back and relax, it's not like anything interesting would happen at an abandoned factory in the middle of the night. Brandon leaned back in his chair and prepared himself for a nice relaxing nap when he heard footsteps nearby. He looked up and saw a well dressed male teenager standing on the factory's bridge. He quickly stood up and confronted boy. 

"What do you want?"

"I wish to gain access to the factory," Dirk replied calmly not worried that he was being confronted by the employee.

"Well I can't let you do that."

Dirk answered in his usual cold tone of voice as he approached the man blocking his path. "I'm sure the two of us can come to a "compromise" if we work this out."

Dirk reached into his shirt and removed a small white envelop and threw it towards the man in front of him. Brandon caught the object and noticed that there was something inside of it. He opened the envelop and saw that is was stuffed with money. He couldn't make out all the details since he was standing in the darkness but he was able to see a green outline on the outermost bill. Not thinking twice about his actions, Brandon turned his back towards Dirk and began to count his money in the light. He greedily removed all the bills and noticed something was a miss. The giant wad of cash that he thought received was really just a one-dollar bill wrapped around a number of blank white slips of papers that were roughly the same size.

"What's going on here?!"

"Offer the enemy a bait to lure him; feign disorder and strike him." Dirk quietly said to himself quoting a passage from The Art of War. The man had just fallen prey to one on Dirk's most common tricks. He used this maneuver many of time, offering his victim a envelop that appeared to be full of money, playing off of the person's greed and distracting the target allowing him and Clayton to attack him from behind. He was about to execute the second portion of this move but had made one slight change to the trick. He drew out the brown bottle he took from the infirmary and a black handkerchief he had in his pocket and poured the contents of the bottle into the cloth before he quietly approached his victim.

Just when Brandon was enlightened about the boy's trickery, he felt one arm wrapped around the his neck while another hand pressed a piece of cloth to his face. He struggled to free himself from the hold, but the lock he was in made it a difficult task. Even though he was older than his attacker, the fumes coming from the handkerchief dulled his consciences and weakened him with every passing second. Brandon jerked his body one last time before yielding to the effects of the attack and passing out on top of the bridge.

Dirk slowly got up and threw his handkerchief over into the river below having no more use for it.

"All warfare is based on deception," Dirk chuckled to himself as he quoted yet another passage from The Art of War he picked up the enveloped used to trick the factory's lone guard. He looked at the body and spoke again.

"What you experienced my friend was the effects of chloroform. A common anaesthetic used to null the pain during surgery. When breathed in heavy amounts it can induce dizziness, headaches and, of course, unconscientiousness but of course you learned all of that the hard way didn't you?"

Dirk lifted the motionless figured and set it done in the chair that he was originally sitting in as to make it look like he was merely sleeping before entering the factory.

"We'll what do we have here?" The Korean boy said to himself as he gazed upon the endless amount of tents in the factory and that's when his eyes caught a glimpse of a pink silhouette in the distance. There was only one person who would wear that color and that was Sissi but something was amiss Dirk reasoned. Sissi was not the type of person to just stand up and walk into an unfamiliar area unless she had a reason to. However, he was not here to shadow the principal's daughter, he was here to find his friend. Dirk stepped into the makeshift camp and heard a familiar snore coming from a tent which he was able to identify.

"Time to give my friend a little wake up call" Dirk said as he kicked the figured from the outside of the tent. He watched the zipper travel across the tent's entrance and saw Clayton's head pop out. He had a very tiring day and didn't even bother to change his clothes for the night and was still wearing his school outfit.

"Dirk?" Clayton said with disbelief in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

Despite his initial worrying about the well being of his friend and bodyguard. Dirk still replied in his usual callous tone of voice.

"I wanted to see all the hoop law that this Finson character was able to generate. So I finally get to set foot on the set of the esteemed director. I'm not impressed."

Clayton was unaffected by Dirk's comment and stepped out of his tent.

"I suppose you have other things in mind than just looking around the set?"

"Actually yes. I just saw Sissi walk off right before I gave you your good morning kick. I say we follow her, sure beats me going back to school."

"Count me in." Clayton said while rubbing his eyes to make himself more alert.

"Good. Let's just hope that my time spent here is not a complete waste."

* * *

Ulrich adjusted Jeremie's headset to the it rested comfortable on his ears. He looked at the computer's clock and noted the late hour he was calling. There was only on person he knew that would be up at this time. 

"Hello Jeremie." Ulrich greeted after dialing his friend's number.

"Ulrich, we've been waiting for your call. Did something happen to you?"

"I'm alright, Finson is just paranoid and confiscated all of our cell phones before we entered the factory. I'm calling you using the factory's computer."

"Well, what do we have here?" Came a voice in front of Ulrich which both him and Jeremie were all too familiar with.

"Ulrich, pleeeeeeeese don't tell me that wasn't just Sissi I heard."

Ulrich removed the headset and walked up to Sissi.

"Ok, I know this looks weird but you can't say a word about this to anyone."

"She might be quiet, but I don't think we'll be so cooperative."

"Oh no!" Ulrich said in horror.

Dirk and Clayton jumped off the ladder that they used to climb down to the computer room. They were able to find the secret passageway in the factory by following Sissi who, at the same time, was tailing Ulrich.

"Nice place you have here," Dirk said while looking at all the various wires and set down his backpack before looking at all miscellaneous items scattered around the area. Clayton for his part had reverted back to his usual silent persona opting to just be an intimidating force rather than participate in the assorted chit chat that his friend and Ulrich were exchanging.

"You too Dirk, you gotta keep this room a secret or else."

Sissi was not buying Ulrich's story one bit. "Or else what? A monster's is going to squirt goopy goo all over my face, huh?"

XANA had a real knack for showing up at the right time. A huge glob of slime fell from the ceiling and landed on the floor resulting in a loud splat to be produced. All four occupants of the computer room looked up and saw Finson's alien hunched over the room's railing garnishing its teeth at the children. 

The sight of the alien loaming over him broke Dirk's calm demeanor as he allowed his emotions to escape in one violent outburst. "What the hell is that!"

"It's Finson's alien!" Clayton answered back equally as frightened. "But what's it doing here and _alive_!?"

"No time to explain, just follow me!" Ulrich commanded as he ran towards the elevator. He stopped his sprint once he saw Sissi paralyzed with fear. It reminded him about the time she was on the stage when the giant teddy bear threatened to crush her but was saved at the last minute. Ulrich shook the thought from his head as not to let it distract him. He grabbed the petrified girl by the arm and dragged her to the elevator. He waited for Dirk and Clayton to come aboard before pressing the giant red button that triggered its accent.

Dirk calmly leaned against the elevator's side and straightened his collar out before he recollected his serious composer.

"Looks like this won't be a waste of my time after all."

Sissi clung onto Ulrich's shirt for dear life, still deeply traumatized after seeing the hideous monster. Ulrich sensed the girl's fear and allowed her to do so, hoping that it would help her cope with the horrific sight.

Sensing that the worst was over, the group all let out a collective sigh of relief but the monster's entrance proved to be only the beginning. The elevator shook violently as it was hit from the bottom up. It's floor buckled in an upward motion as the alien resumed its hunt for the children.

"Any bright ideas Ulrich on how to escape from this death trap?" Dirk asked while backing himself into a corner.

Ulrich first hit the red button to stop the elevator's ride to the top and looked up. He then saw the elevator's escape hatch and pointed towards it.

"Up there!"

The boy jumped up towards the top of the small room and forced the trapdoor open before falling back down.

"Sissi, you go first!" Ulrich spoke with authority.

The girl meekly walked over to Ulrich still frightened by the alien and was soon hoisted in the air by Clayton where she promptly grabbed the hatch's ledge and lifted herself to the top of the elevator. Clayton was next to leave as he pulled himself onto the elevator's roof. Clayton then extended his arm into the elevator which Dirk took hold of and was soon brought up to Clayton's level leaving Ulrich alone to face the beast.

The alien had managed to punch a large hole in the elevator's floor and starred down its helpless victim. Ulrich distanced himself as far as he could from the monstrosity that wished to take his life but was stopped by the wall behind him. Fighting the alien was out of the question, and there was no where to run. He was essentially trapped but hope came to him in the form of an outstretched arm.

"GRAB IT!" Clayton yelled from the safety of the elevator's roof.

Ulrich could not believe his ears. Here was one of his worst enemies performing an act of kindness towards him. He wasted no time and held on to the arm watched the alien slowly disappear from his vision once again. Ulrich joined the other students on top and took a moment to catch his breath.

"I'm glad we're all safe," Sissi said out of relief before spotting the monster once again.

The alien tried its best to squeeze its body through the tiny opening but to no avail. Thinking quickly,Dirk ran to the trapdoor and kicked it so that it slammed shut. Themetal door closed ontop ofthe alien and managed toslightly injure the enemy in the process. Silence returned to the elevator and gave the group a time to calculate their next move.

Ulrich still couldn't believe that Clayton had actually helped him escape from the mutant despite all the enmity he and Dirk had against him.

"Thanks"

"Don't let it go to your head Ulrich," Dirk responded matter-of-factly.

"Look Dirk, if we're going to survive this then we need to band together. I know the four of us aren't exactly best friends with one another but we have to look past that if we want to stay alive."

Dirk really hated working with anybody outside of Clayton but Ulrich was right. The only way he was ever going to see the light of day was if he accept his enemies proposal. He reallydispised being suckered into these sort of situations.

"Fine we'll do this_ your _way but this still doesn't change anything between us. Once we get out of this God forsaken factory you better start watching your back again."

"I know, your friend gave me the same message before I got here. My back is a prime target."

"So how are we going to get out of this shaft?"

"Through here."

Ulrich walked over to the ventilation shaft and ripped off the steel grated that was protecting it.

"Now let's get going before we see that thing's ugly head again."

The three other teenagers followed Ulrich's lead and crawled into the shaft and hoped that they would never see the hideous being again.

* * *

Jeremie was only able to hear a few loud roars before he lost contact with Ulrich. Things were looking rather grim back at the factory which caused a sense of dread to resonate within that shook him to the core. Looks like he and his friends will be working the graveyard shift tonight. He quickly entered in a few commands and soon dialed Jin's cell phone number. Since he already disturbed Yumi's slumber during the incident with the bulldozers he figured he might as well make sure that Jin had received the same treatment. 

Jin's cell phone rang a total of two times before it was swiftly grasped by the Japanese boy's hand.

"Talk to me."

"Jin, Ulrich as ran into some serious trouble back at the factory!"

"Figures, I knew you weren't calling me for a simple midnight chat."

"It gets worse. Sissi, Dirk and Clayton are with him and they all know about the computer room."

"Cripes this is bad. Now I'm praying that this indeed is a XANA attack so we can return to the past and fix this mess."

"Look Jin, I'm going to wake Odd up and you do the same with Yumi. Meet us at the bridge leading to the factory."

"We'll be there soon."

"Thanks"

Jin heard a click on the other end of the line before he turned off his cell phone and got dressed. He then grabbed his wireless headphones and placed them over his ears before grabbing his CD player and walking over to Yumi's room. He approached his sister's sleeping form and draped the set of headphones over her ears before pressing the play button.

Yumi was gently roused from her sleep by a soft piano track that was flowing through her ears. The song sounded deceptively simple yet at the same time required mastery of the instrument to play it. She opened her eyes and saw her brother standing near her bed and the fact that she was wearing his prized headset over her ears. At once she removed the device from her body and looked at her brother perplexed.

"Moonlight Sonata."

"What?" Yumi asked not knowing what Jin exactly meant.

"The song you were listening to, Moonlight Sonata, composed by Ludwig Von Beethoven. It's one of my favorite songs on the piano."

"Aniki, something tells me that you're not here to discus classical music at this time."

"I'm not. Jeremie called me and said that Ulrich is in some serious trouble down at the factory."

Hearing the words trouble and Ulrich in the same sentence instantly triggered the alarm bells in Yumi's head causing the adrenaline to flow throughout her blood stream.

"I'll be ready shortly," Yumi said in a determined tone of voice.

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Ulrich raised his hand and stopped the group. As he heard a rhythmic tap, tap that was close to them. 

"I hear it to. Whatever is making those sounds, it must be pretty big." Dirk deduced.

"IT'S THE ALIEN!' Sissi panicked causing Ulrich to place his hand over her mouth.

"Be quiet Sissi or else that thing will hear us and know where we are." He warned the fearful girl.

"TOO LATE!" Clayton yelled out just before he felt his body being slammed into the back wall along with the others.

* * *

Jin crouched behind a set of bushes and peered at the factory's entrance. 

"Man a samurai would be so cool to have here right now. No wait, a ninja. Wait, even better, a _samurai ninja_."

"Would you give the samurai a ninjas a break?" Jeremie said effectively silencing Jin. "We need to think of a way to get past that one guard without causing a commotion."

Yumi had an idea but before she could share it with the others she saw the guard's body collapse from the his chair and fall on the floor face first. The group gasped in horror at the sight. Odd and Jin quickly rushed over to the man to see if he was alright when they made a shocking discovery. Seeing how he was a good distance away from his sister and Jeremie, Jin pulled out his cell phone and began to dial her number.

"Yumi, you wouldn't believe this if I told you but this guy was knocked out before we got here."

"What?!"

"Yeah, his pulse is fine and I made sure he's lying on his back so that he could breath properly but defiantly somebody knocked this guy out."

"Well whoever did this has just provided us with a huge breakthrough. Let's just use this to our advantage and just get inside the factory."

"Roger that."

Jeremie tapped Yumi on the shoulder and gestured with his hand conveying the message that he wished to speak with her brother.

"Jin."

"What's up Jeremie?"

"Stay where you are until Yumi and I show up there. Then follow my lead once we get into the factory. I know a perfect place for all of us to meet and think of a battle plan."

"I'll be sure to relay that to Odd."

"Good, now let's get going. Ulrich is counting us."

Yumi overheard Jeremie's portion of the conversation and was able to pick up on all the details of the plan. Her and Jeremie ran down the bridge and rejoined with Jin and Odd as the four of then sunk into the factory and past the encampment. Jeremie's eyes darted to and fro until they came across the door he was looking for.

"This way," he whispered while turning the door's handle and allowing the others to step through the doorway.

Odd's mind was somewhat absent thanks to his early awakening provided by his friend so he was still unaware of all the details.

"So what do we have going on here?"

Jin took it upon himself to answer. "So far this is what we know. Ulrich, Sissi, Dirk and Clayton arein some serious trouble. Ulrich was talking to Jeremie just before he had to split."

"Wow, Ulrich, Dirk, Clayton and Sissi together in the same room. Now there's something you don't see everyday."

Yumi analyzed the situation before she offered her own suggestion.

"Looks like we have to take care of two problems. Getting into Lyoko and rescuing those four. We need to split up to do this."

"Great idea Yumi," Jeremie complemented. "So who's going where?"

As always, Odd was eager to take the plunge into the virtual world. "I'm heading to Lyoko!" He said excitedly.

"And I'll head to the computer room to man the scanners," Jeremie added. "Now what about the Ishiyama family?"

"I'm going to rescue Ulrich and the others," Yumi said confidently which put her brother at an unease.

This would be the third time that his sister went solo. He so desperately wanted to go with her but the determined look that she had in her eyes prevented him from doing so. This seemed like something that she wanted to take care of and take care of alone. Besides, if he really wanted to keep her safe, then he would be going into Lyoko with Odd. The faster they deactivate the tower, the faster they would get out of this jam.

"I'm heading over to Lyoko too so I can back Odd up. The more people we have in there the better our chances of success."

Jin looked over at Yumi once more and saw her nod hear head while closing her eyes. Silently thanking her brother.

"Take care of yourself sis."

"I will Aniki."

Yumi parted ways with the three boys and ran into the sewers to find Ulrich.

"Time for another rousing trip to Lyoko," Odd said full off boundless energy as he ran towards the computer room.

* * *

A loud scream can be heard on the factory floor. The scream did not belong to a teenager, but a young adult. 

"EVERYONE, GET UP NOW!"

The entire camp's night of rest was rudely disrupted by the voice of the angry director. Daniel was the first by Finson's side and was ready to ask his boss what was wrong.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"LOOK!"

Daniel followed Finson's gaze towards the wooden planks that suspended his prized movie alien but was shocked to see them empty.

"Oh no," he said quietly to himself.

Finson was not as subtle. "My masterpiece! My creation! Where the hell is Brandon? He was supposed to be guarding this place!"

"I'll go get him sir."

Daniel stormed off into the distance while his presence was soon replaced by the female employee that was in charge of acquiring all the worker's cell phones.

"What news do you have for me Amy?"

"Mr. Finson, I've checked around the camp and all three students that you invited to work here are missing."

Soon Daniel returned with Brandon's arm draped over his shoulder. The effects of the chloroform were wearing off but the man was still weak from the attack.

"I found him sir, but he's in real bad shape."

"Brandon, what happened to you?" Finson asked trying to make sense of the chaos around him.

"A teenager did this to me."

The gears in James's head started turning once Brandon mentioned the youth.

"He was wearing all black."

James dove deep into his memory bank and tried his best to recall the attire of the three children. One wore all green, the other wore gray while the third was pink. This was the handiwork of a fourth party. Finson's eyes narrowed when he saw the children's trickery.

"That's it! Everyone spread out and find those kids! They couldn't have gotten very far!"

* * *

Yumi wandered the sewers in her desperate search for Ulrich and the others. She walked through the waterways until she heard two voices coming from the entrance. 

Daniel and Amy stepped into the dark armed with flashlights. "Ok, let's start our search here."

Yumi panicked and tried to walk away but knocked over a wooden plank that was originally resting against the wall resulting in a loud sound to be produced.

"What was that?"

Daniel and Amy ran over to the area where the sound came from but found nothing.

"It's nothing Daniel. We should move on since we're wasting our time here."

Yumi watched the two adults leave from the safety of a nearby ledge that she managed to climb up of. She let out a sigh of relief and climbed down to the sewers walkway and resumed her search.

* * *

Jin and Odd faced each other from opposite ends of the elevator as it began it's decent to the bottom floor. They had to extra careful on where they stood since the two of them did not want to fall into the hole that the alien created an half-an-hour ago. 

"Cripes, look at that!" Jin exclaimed. "If it were any bigger than the entire floor would give way."

"Well we better work quickly then. If that thing that's chasing them can punch through metal like this then human flesh and bone would not prove to be too much of a problem for it."

"We have to, for all their sake."

Odd watched Jin place his right fist into his palm and had him stop for his own benefit.

"I wouldn't crack those knuckles if I were you."

"What do you mean?"

"You did injure them didn't you?"

Jin looked at the position of his hands before drawing them away from each other.

"Thanks Odd, you saved me a lot of pain and suffering there. I'll just have to reverse the process then."

Jin cracked his left knuckles this time with the aid of his right hand.

"Much better."

The elevator stopped and opened its doors revealing the scanner room. Jin and Odd stepped outside, making sure to avoid the whole at all cost before standing in front of their scanners of choice. Odd walked inside while Jin removed his headphones before following suit.

"Transfer Odd. Transfer Jin."

Both the two boy's bodies hovered in mid-air as Jeremie typed in the next set of commands.

"Scanner Odd. Scanner Jin."

Odd and Jin's characters were uploaded into Lyoko and were ready to be used.

"Virtualization"

* * *

Odd landed in a crouch and instantly noticed two things about his trip to Lyoko. One, he was in the polar region which he despised with a passion. He always hated how cold it was and visiting the place almost put a damper on his spirit. Second, Jin was able to land on his feet and was not lying on his face. 

"Wow Jin, looks like you finally got your landings down."

"But of course."

Jin took one step foot forward and slipped on the ice causing him to fall backwards and land on the back of his head.

"Then again, maybe not."

"Least you fell on your back this time."

"Hardy har, har. Would you mind giving me a hand?"

Odd extended a hand forward to help his clumsy friend up. "So Jin, what's on the menu today?"

Jin looked around the terrain and what it had to offer him before he made his weapon selection. He reached into his left shoulder and right rip to draw out his silver 45. caliber pistols and spun them around his fingers with ease.

"The ice bridge that we're on is too narrow for my rifle. I won't be able to get a shot off without blowing a hole through both your skulls."

The small movements that Odd's body was making attracted Jin's attention.

"You ok Odd?"

"Man its freezing here!" Odd complained before turning his head to face his comrade in arms. He looked at Jin and saw that he was not shaking at all.

"What's the big deal here?"

Jin looked over his Lyoko attire and an answer flashed into his mind. "Odd, I'm wearing at least three layers of clothing here. Yeah I'm cold but at least my outfit prevents my teeth from chattering."

Aelita ran up to her to friends and was currently jogging in place.

"Hey Aelita," Jin greeted his virtual friend. "Ah I see you're out on your usual mourning jog. It's really good for the heart."

Aelita was confused with Jin's last comment. The concepts of time and exercise escaped her.

"What are those things?" She asked innocently.

"Never mind."

"Odd, maybe you should start running in place like how I am. It would help warm you up."

Odd did as he was told and began to move his feet up and down while pumping his arms back and forth. Blood circulated throughout his body and drove out the cold.

"Thanks Aelita, now let's get to that tower."

"Hold it guys!" Jin ordered. "Let's use the icy terrain to our advantage."

"What do you mean?"

"Well because this ice bridge is so thin, it would be hard for any of XANA's monsters to get past one of use if we were to just stand in one place."

"Sooooo"

"So, we run in formation. Odd, you take the front since you're the strongest with Aelita right behind you. Then I'll cover the rear."

Odd's eyes lit up once he finally saw what Jin intended to do. "I get it! The only way XANA could attack Aelita is if he gets through us."

"Good, now let's go deactivate the tower."

Odd ran ahead first with Aelita and Jin right behind him.

Jeremie choose this moment in time to warn his three friends in Lyoko. "Warning, I detect five enemies coming your way!"

Jin looked around the polar region and saw that there were no monsters nearby.

"Where are they Jeremie? I don't see anything!"

Aelita tilted her head up and fixed her gaze towards the sky. "Odd, Jin, look! I see them."

Odd traced the path that Aelita's eyes were craving and he too saw the wing beings.

"Great, just what I need. A good battle would surly warm me up."

Jin spun his guns around his index fingers once more. "My thoughts exactly Odd. Now, LET'S ROCK!"

* * *

Yumi rested against the wall of one of the countless rooms in the factory to catch her breath. She couldn't keep up this frantic pace for long as its demands were taking a greater toll on her body. Only the prospect of saving Ulrich drove her to go on but even she had her limits. It was then she heard his voice. 

"YUMI!" Ulrich called out from the back of the room.

All fatigue that was in the weary girl's body melted away once the sound of Ulrich's voice entered her ears. She rushed over to the far end of the area and found the four people she was looking for.

"Ulrich, what happened to you guys?"

Yumi saw her friend and enemies covered in a strange bluish-green substance that was pinning the four of them to the wall.

"No time to explain just get us out of here."

Yumi reached into her pocket and removed a small knife.

"Ok I'll cut you guys free so don't move a muscle."

Ulrich was unamused. "Boy, aren't you the funny one. Do you always carry that thing around?"

"I thought it might come in handy today. Looks like I was right."

Yumi drove her knife into the strange ooze that held the individuals captive. She carefully moved it side to side as not to hurt the prisoners trapped underneath. Ribbons of the substance feel to the Earth before being accompanied by Ulrich and Sissi.

"Oh Yumi, I'd never thought I be saying this, but I'm glad to see you!" Sissi cried out overjoyed that she was free to walk again.

"You two can kiss and make up later." Ulrich said flatly.

"Ahem" Dirk coughed loudly drawing Yumi's attention to the back wall once more. "I think you're forgetting something here."

Yumi flashed Ulrich a sly smile. "Why don't we just leave the two of them here. I'd say it's fitting punishment for all the grief they have caused us over the years."

Ulrich shook his head. "Under normal circumstances I would agree, but those two helped us when the alien attacked."

Yumi spun on her heel and faced Dirk. "Wow Dirk and Clayton heroes. You two do really have hearts."

"I have no time for games right now. Just cut us loose."

Yumi walked over the strange slime and cut the two boys loose. Ulrich then walked over to them and figured that it was now his time to joke around.

"Don't take it personally," he said with a smile causing Clayton to clench his fist tightly.

"THERE YOU ARE!" A loud voice boomed where Yumi originally stood.

"Finson spotted us and me without my chloroform," Dirk whispered to the group. He balled his hands into fist and was ready to charge the director but stopped the attack once he realized his friend's admiration for the man. As much as he hated getting into trouble he hated ticking off Clayton even more. He had been his enforcer and friend for quite awhile and pissing him off was not the smartest thing he could do. Plus, with half the student body wishing to extract their revenge on him, pissing off his only friend was not a good idea..

"Clayton, your admiration for this man would lead you to your downfall...and mine." Dirk thought to himself.

Ulrich too considered rushing the director but thought against it. Finson kept in close contact with all of his employee's and the minute they suspect something had happened to the director then the entire place would be swarming with people.

Finson noticed that there was yet _another_ person that joined the rouge group aside from the boy dressed in black that Brandon informed him about but that didn't matter to him. All he wanted was his monster back. He lead the bunch into another room that had a table inside of it and took a seat. Yumi, Urich, Sissi, Dirk and Clayton stood on the opposite end.

"I got a few questions to ask you guys."

"Like what?" Dirk asked cooly, almost mocking the director with the frankness of his voice.

"Forget it, let's just cut to the chase. WHERE IS MY MONSTER?!"

Yumi tried her best to try to calm down the irate director. "Listen sir, this may sound strange but..."

CRASH!

Yumi could not finish her reply since an unknown force destroyed the door in front of her sending wooden splinters and debris flying.

"What the?!" The girl exclaimed as she saw the giant green alien step into the room.

"MY ALIEN!" Finson said overjoyed to see his creation return to him but the monster was not as excited. It reared its massive arm back and sent the man flying towards the wall. Finson impacted against the solid concrete with a solid thud causing him to bounce off the surface and land on the floor face first. Daniel and Amy overheard the commotion that was occurring in the adjacent room and went to investigate only to find themselves the alien's latest victims. The monster opened it's massive jaws and spat another set of blueish-green ooze at the two adults catapulting them out of the doorway and trapping them against the wall before it turned it sights onto the kids once again.

Ulrich looked around the room for anything that he could use to slowly that monstrosity down. He found his answer in the room's table.

"EVERYONE LISTEN UP! USE THE TABLE!"

The other four understood what he was referring to and all stood in one side of the wooden object.

"Ok on three. One, two, THREE!"

At Ulrich's signal, the table was thrown upwards and collided into the side of the alien effective stunning it.

"Run to the room in the back!"

Ulrich watched his companions run through the door before escaping himself. The alien tried to give chase but was stopped once it felt something tug at its tail.

Finson had managed to crawl on his belly and grabbed at his creation's tail pleading with it to cease it's destruction.

"I made you! I am your creator! You must listen to me!"

The alien really didn't care about Finson's cries for peace and simply plastered him against the wall joining the ranks among Daniel and Amy.

* * *

Ulrich stepped through the doorway of the factory's back room as Dirk and Clayton shoved an old filing case to barr the entrance. 

Yumi assumed command at that moment. "Quick, everyone barricade that door with everything you can get your hands on!"

Ulrich, Dirk and Clayton set to work and grabbed every single heavy item they could possibly move and pushed it towards the door. No sooner was the barricade assembled, did the alien try to break down the door again dislodging a number of items loose in the process.

"Persistent aren't we?" Dirk mocked the monster that was threatening to kill them. "Well we better start arming ourselves cause this might get physical real quick.

He stooped down low and picked up a metal pipe and held it in his right hand. Ulrich and Clayton soon followed.

"You guys must be crazy!" Yumi exclaimed. "There is no way the five of us can take that thing out."

Dirk looked down at the floor before carefully picking his answer. "That maybe the case Yumi, but if that thing is going to kill me then I better make sure I leave a mark on it to remember me by!"

Yumi drew out her cell phone and dialed Jeremie's number.

"Jeremie, how are things looking in Lyoko because they're getting a whole lot worse here."

"Odd and Jin are busy fighting XANA's monsters but they in good shape."

"Please hurry!"

* * *

"Odd, Jin, Yumi and the others are experiencing some serious trouble. Get moving!" 

"We're not exactly having a tea party out here you know!" Odd watched the hornets fly off once more before flying low again to launch another attack.

"Hey Jin, isn't this your speciality?"

"That it is."

Jin spun around and began running backwards all while waiting for the hornets to draw closer. Once they were in range, Jin fired four shots into the group causing them to scatter all over the place.

"Well that bought us some more time. I'm just getting sick of these things. It's time we fought back."

"But how?" Jin asked

"Over there in the clearing."Odd pointed to a large ice area that had two ice boulders that were shaped like ramps on both ends.

"I like the way you think,"Jin complimented.

"Ok here they come, we only get one shot at this so make it count."

The hornets flew in and eagerly awaited to attack Aelita but were in for a nasty surprise. Odd and Jin had managed to reach the clearing and they both jumped from opposite ends using the boulders to give them the necessary height. The two of them soared through the air as their bodies were parallel to both the ground and each other. Jin flew over Odd who was only a few inches underneath him and fired four more rounds but this time he concentrated his fire towards the middle hornet disrupting its flight pattern and holding it still for Odd.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired one of his ten arrows he had in stock at the hornet that Jin had marked causing it to explode once it pierced through its weak point.

The two heros both rolled into a crouching position and watched the remaining four enemies fly away to regroup.

Jin twirled his pistols around his fingers out of celebration. "John Woo eat your heart out."

Jeremie's voice was soon overheard on the intercom as to give the current Lyoko team a status report. "Ok guys, you have to go into that tunnel right behind you to reach the tower."

"Roger that," Jin acknowledged. He heard a familiar buzz in the air and saw the four hornets rocketing towards them.

"Odd, you and Aelita go ahead. I'll try to buy you guys some time."

"Ok, let's go Aelita." The two of them disappeared into the depths of the ice tunnel leaving Jin alone to contend with the hornets. His vision darkened as he watched the action around him slow down. Everything was now black and white as he targeted the roaches. He fired eight shots now and only had twelve left, six bullets in each magazine. He spread out his shots so that he only used three bullets on each hornet before saying his signature catalyst phrase.

"Activate Lyoko power...BULLET BARRAGE!"

Jin's vision returned to normal and he let lose a hailstorm of lead at his unsuspecting enemies. The hornets buckled under his assault and flew away leaving him alone for the time being. Jin ejected his two spent clips and loaded in his remaining magazines into the handle of his guns.

"Well that was fun, but I better hurry and meet up with Odd and Aelita. They might be in some serious trouble right now."

Jin didn't hesitate and soon slid down the entrance of the ice tunnel to join his friends in battle once more.

* * *

Contrary to what Jin was thinking, Odd was having the time of his life. He feet glided across the icy surface of the tunnel 

"WHAOO!" Odd yelled out to express the euphoria he was experiencing. "Man I might as well settle down and live in this place!"

Aelita couldn't really respond to Odd's sense of humor as she was too busy sliding on her back.

"By the way Jeremie, where does this tunnel lead to?"

"Well Odd it..."

Odd saw the end of the path and the light coming from the other end.

"Oh well, might as well find out the hard way. GERONIMO!"

Odd and Aelita plummeted from the tunnels height and landed on the icy floor in a dazed heap. Odd took a moment to gather his senses together before helping Aelita to her feet.

"According to my holomap, Jin should be arriving shortly."

Odd smiled once he heard Jeremie's update. "Well knowing him there is only one way he's coming down here."

"And what way is that?" Aelita asked.

"AHHHHH!" Jin's screams could be heard above them.

THUD!

"Oh his face."

Jin propped himself on his arms and shook his head violent to shake the dizzy feeling he had.

Odd stopped down low and looked him in the eye. "Wow, three face plants in one day. That must be a new record for you."

"Whatever"

Jin slowly got up and focused on the tower, or in this case, towers. "Jeremie, we have a little problem here. I see two towers here!"

"That's impossible, the holomap shows only one!"

"See for yourself."

Jeremie brought up the window that showed him the video feedback that Jin's sunglasses were providing him and sure enough there were two towers that were in front of them.

"Well, one of them is fake." Jeremie concluded. "You have to choose one Aelita."

"But which one Jeremie? I'm not sure yourself." She said worryingly.

Jin and Odd heard the familiar buzz that the hornets produced when they were nearby.

Odd readied his wrist. "Well you better make your choice quick Aelita we got company!"

Odd wasted no time and confronted the monsters head on. "Laser Arrow!" Odd shot three arrows at the group but only managed to destroy only one hornet.

"Jin, you think you can launch a Bullet Barrage for me?"

"No can do, that stuff burns through my ammo like there was no tomorrow. I'm down to my last twenty shots and that's not going to last me for long."

Jin spun around quickly and unloaded his remaining ammunition on the roaches as the circled in for their next attack. "DIE!" The Japanese boy screamed as his bullets bounced off of the mechanical hides that belonged to the monsters.

"Here, let me show you how to take these things down," Odd boasted.He launched four more arrows into the crowed and destroyed another hornet leaving only two behind.

Aelita did not know what to do so much was riding on her choice. She could either be the salvation of her friend's world or doom it all with just a simple code. She was scared to act, afraid of the potential consequences that came with her decision.

"Come on Aelita, pick a tower now!" Odd shouted, trying his best to get the girl to move. "We can't hold them off forever!"

Odd fired his last five arrows and was disheartened to see that they failed to hit anything. Jin took Odd's place on the offensive and reckless fired his two guns for all that they were worth. Aelita was fed up with just standing still. Odd and Jin were right, they were indeed fighting a losing battle and couldn't keep the hornets at bay for long. She strengthened her resolve and ran to the tower that she believed to be the real one. She disappeared into the tower and inputted the usual string of commands to deactivate it.

AELITA

* * *

Things were looking bad for Yumi, Ulrich and Sissi. Real bad. Dirk and Clayton were now lying in a pile of debris compliments of XANA's alien. Despite the animosity the two held towards the others, they were the first to charge the alien when it broke through the barricade. The alien rewarded both of their efforts with a quick flick of its tail knocking them both into the pile of junk which sent various object tumbling down upon them. Yumi winched at the sight and was unsure if they were even alive anymore. The alien then set its sites on its two sworn enemies that stood in front of it. Yumi felt an icy cold presence around her neck as the alien constricted its tail around the small combination of flesh and bone. 

Ulrich's eyes went wild at the sight. The held his pipe even tighter causing his knuckles to go white and ran into harms way to save the girl not caring of the danger he was putting himself in.

The monster saw his feeble attempt at rescuing the girl and shot out one of its claws which took hold of his neck causing him to drop his weapon. Ulrich was lifted in the air along with Yumi as both or them struggled to break free from the alien's vice-like grip.

* * *

CODE

* * *

Sissi was overtaken by fear once more. She was completely powerless in stopping the creature and watched helplessly as Yumi and Ulrich were slowly dying before her eyes. She could see their legs flailing back and forth desperately kicking the air but as time progressed their movements became more minute as the lack of oxygen began to take effect until the appendages were almost limp.

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

Aelita felt a wave on uncertainty wash over her body as he inputted the last command. 

"Jeremie. I choose wrong!" She said in despair.

"Don't worry Aelita, I have faith in your choice." Jeremie pressed the return key on his keyboard and hoped for the best.

"Return to the past now."

A white light engulfed the factory letting him now that indeed Aelita did choose the correct tower.

* * *

Yumi and Ulrich felt the alien's grip lightened and allowed air to enter their lungs once more. They smiled at each other as the saw the white light approach them.

* * *

Jeremie and the others found themsevles resting underneath the shade of one of the many trees on campus."You're absolutely sure that you can get Finson away from the factory this time?" Jeremie questioned his friend. 

"Don't worry, my new plan will keep that director away from the factory for years to come."

Ulrich turned his head and saw the security guard open the doors leading to the cafeteria.

"May I have your attention please. James Finson is ready to sign all of your autographs. Please form a single-file line and don't push."

"Well I gotta go. See you later guys."

Odd was once again bored and turned his head towards Jin. "So Jin, want to teach me how to moonwalk again?"

"Right after you finish your lesson on the windmill."

* * *

Ulrich was next in line and was ready to talk to the director.

"Mr. Finson." Ulrich said more confidently than last time. "I heard that you were planning to shoot your latest movie in the factory. I know the place inside out and I could give you a tour of the place."

"Really," Finson said slightly interested. "How come you're so knowledgeable of the area?"

Ulrich remembered the remark James made when he said that his alien looked like another movie monster from a different film and used it to his advantage.

"Oh that's because I did the same thing with the previous director that came here who decided to use the factory in his movie also."

Finson was outraged. "_Other director_!"

He stormed out of the cafeteria and pulled out his cell phone and began screaming at the unfortunate individual at the other end.

"How dare you suggest me to use this factory where another movie crew used it in their movie! I should have your fired and..."

Ulrich could no longer hear him as he walked towards his car and drove away from the school.

Dirk and Clayton saw the whole ordeal from the back of the cafeteria. Clayton was just as furious as Finson was. Ulrich had managed to ruin his once in a lifetime chance to meet his favorite movie director and he was not going to let him off the hook for his latest transgression so easily.

"Don't worry Clayton, we'll handle this."

* * *

Ulrich walked outside with a smile in his face and approached the giant group of students that were forming a circle around Odd and Jin's dance battle. 

"Man, are you watching this?" One student commented.

"They're really good," Another replied back accordingly.

Jin had just finished spinning on his right hand and flashed his friends the thumbs up sign signaling his next move.

"Oh no, he's not going to try it again. Please tell me Odd that he's not going to do it." Yumi said disbelief.

"Looks like he is," Odd said flatly.

Jin threw all of his weight behind him and jumped in the air and tried the backflip once again.

"Hey it's Ulrich!"Jin said excitedly once more.

THUD!

"OooOO"

And once again he fell on his head.

The crowd sensed that the battle was over and went along with their business. Yumi walked over to Jin and helped him up.

"The Master of Disaster strikes again," Yumi chuckled to herself. "So why did you try that move again?"

"It was the only way to get rid of the crowd so we could talk about Ulrich's plan."

"Speaking of which." Yumi waved her hand from side to side. "So Ulrich, how did it go?"

"Finson is gone for good."

"YES!" The group celebrated at the same time but stopped once they saw Dirk and Clayton walk towards their direction.

Clayton was the first to speak. "Ulrich, you're gonna pay for what you did to me! Let's go right now! There is no way you're going to beat me again!"

Odd and Jin exchanged glances before getting into their fighting stances ready to help out Ulrich in combat.

"What better way to conclude and dance battle than with a real one." Jin said smugly waiting for the two of them to make the first move.

It was obvious that the two of them had no idea how helpful the bullies were during the last XANA attack. Yumi held her arm up and held back Jin and Odd as Ulrich talked to their enemies.

"You're right Clayton, I can't beat you. You're just too strong more me and the only reason why I won our last fight was because I got in a lucky shot that's all.

Jin's jaw dropped to the floor. "Oh my god," he said stunned.

"Ulrich, surrendering to Clayton? Hell has frozen over," Odd remarked.

"Don't worry you two, I'll tell you what happened later," Yumi said wishing to inform the three boys about Dirk and Clayton's acts of heroism.

Clayton was just as surprised as the others he couldn't believe that Ulrich had just backed out of his challenged but he wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily. "COME ON! FIGHT ME!"

Dirk saw that his friend was getting out of control as his violent outburst could only harm his "good student" refutation he painstakingly crafted to fool the teachers of the school.

"Back off Clayton, you know you can rip this kid apart. Just let him go."

Clayton made one last hateful look at Ulrich before walking away.

"Looks like you're getting better at this whole planning thing after all," Yumi said while patting Ulrich on the back.

"Wow, unlike his physics class Ulrich has actually learned something today," Odd joked causing the rest of the group to groan at his attempt at humor.

"Some people will never learn." Ulrich said as he walked away.

END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking:**

Ok guys, if you want news concerning the Retelling Series, Fan Art, Code Lyoko articles and even VOICE ACTING CLIPS OF JIN AND DIRK then check out my site provided in my profile its really worth your time. Now if you would like to help me with the production of this fic then check my site out for all the details. There's also a lot of info about one of my favorite web series XIN on the site where I'm trying to be a voice actor of. Also, if any of you can draw out there, I would really love to have a picture of Jin in Lyoko. Just remember, he dresses similarly to Seraph from The Matrix except that he wears a white button shirt and has square-framed sunglasses.

* * *

**Author Response:**

This is a new section I added where I address any readers who ask me questions for me and all that other good stuff. Ok let's cut to the chase.

**Danny le fou:** Man your outtakes are really funny and I do mean that. However, if you have an outtake for me please e-mail it to me and save the reviews for the review box. I know this is hard for you since you are not a registered member but if you want my e-mail address then just check out my webpage in my profile.

**Alliance: **Sorry man, I can't tell you who Ghai is right off the bat. His identity will be revealed in due time.

**Fallen Angle: **Don't worry, I've been reading all your reviews and am fully aware that you would just LOVE to read another chapter ASAP. If you want to find out the progress of my latest chapter then just visit my site. I usually do a good job on keeping you guys posted on my progress.

**Inulyoukai:** I care about all of my fans. Reading the Retelling Series is no easy task since its so long. I would never intentionally shut you or anybody else out in the cold. I care for your opinion and everyone else's that wishes to contribute.

**The-green-rose: **I read your comment in my guestbook and made all the necessary changes to Image Problem. THANK YOU FOR POINTING THOSE MISTAKES OUT! I also see that you have concerns about the ages of the characters. Ok now according to the Code Lyoko message board the "official" ages are as follows.

Ulrich: 13  
Odd: 13  
Jeremie: 12  
Yumi: 14

Yes it can be argued that Ulrich should be older since he plays on the ninth grade soccer team but the therm "ninth grade soccer team" is similar to the term varsity that we use here in the states so in reality Ulrich is just really good for his age and is playing on a higher level team. Of course I can be wrong but I would like to stick with the "official" ages to save me a lot of headaches.

Concerning the ages of my new characters.

Jin: 14  
Clayton: 14 (a few months younger than Jin)  
Dirk: 13: (a few months younger than Clayton)

Dirk and Clayton are indeed the same age as Yumi and Jin. It's just that Yumi and Jin are a little older than the bullies. One more thing, yes I DID take the name Ghai from XIN but the two characters only similarities are their names. Besides his name, I've take quiet a few elements from XIN. For example, I got the idea for Ulrich and Dirk's rooftop fight from episode six of XIN along with a lot of other elements. If you watch the series you'll see what I mean. This is just my way of paying homage to the cartoon.

* * *

**Outtakes:**

"Are you watching this?" One student commented.

"Man, they're really good." Another student replied.

Jin went for the backflip...

"Hey its Ulrich."

but fell on his head again.

THUD!

"OooOO"

"I've seen better" A female voice said in the back.

"WHAT?!" The two boys said in unison the looked up and saw Sissi, Herb and Nicholas standing in the circle.

"How bout it, your crew verses mine but since you guys have five members and I have three, two of you will have to sit out."

Yumi stepped forward and looked Sissi in they eye. "You're on!"

"So who's not going to dance?"

Jeremie pressed a special button on his laptop and it soon transformed into a giant turntable.

"Don't worry Sissi, I'll be the DJ for your little dance off."

Jin stepped forward and snapped his fingers. Suddenly a microphone was thrown towards him which he skillfully caught.

"And I'll MC this thing!"

Ulrich, Yumi and Odd stepped into the circle and stared down Sissi's gang.

"Yo what's up this is Jin Ishiyama rocking the mic. We got ourselves a battle here so let's get this party started alright! Spin that beat Einstein!"

Jeremie placed his hands on the turntable and started the battle.

Sissi's group wasted no time and performed a synchronized dance routine with the girl in the lead. The finished their number by striking a dramatic pose but the crowed wasn't buying it.

"Oh man that was WEAK! Ok guys, lets see if you can do better."

Ulrich, Yumi and Odd stepped forward and started breakdancing much to the crowds delight and all finished is a flashy handstand.

The crowd went wild.

"Well it's obvious who won that exchange."

"Man Sissi, YOU GOT SERVED!"

Jin and the others looked at the random heckler right before going into a patented anime facefault.

* * *

"I do not and I repeat DO NOT copy from other works of film!" Finson yelled at the unsuspecting boy. 

"Then why do you have a guy wearing a black trench coat that looks a lot like Neo?"

"Didn't copy it."

"And the guy in the outfit that resembles a lot like Darth Vader."

"Didn't copy it."

"And the..."

"OK KID YOU WIN! I'M A TALENTLESS HACK!"

"Much better"

"Least I know all my movie lines are original."

Ulrich turned his head and saw a very large man wearing a leather jacket that was holding a shotgun.

"I'll be back." The large man clad in black said.

"Suuuure"

* * *

"What you experienced are the effects of chloroform. A common aesthetic used in surgery. In large amounts it...huh?" 

Dirk looked at the man he just drugged and saw that he was walking around the place and saying random incoherent quotes.

"I LIKE COOKIES YES I DO! I LIKE COOKIES HOW ABOUT YOU?"

"What the hell?"

Dirk looked at the bottle and read the warning.

WARNING: WILL CAUSE HYSTERIA IF USED ON A MAN NAMED BRANDON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ALL WHILE ACTING OUT A SCENE IN A POPULAR CODE LYOKO FANFIC!

"Now what are the chances of that happening?"

* * *

"I made you! I created you! You must obey me!" 

The alien took on good look at Finson and smiled.

"PAPPA!"

"Oh crap, I think I would have been better off being eaten."

* * *

Jin and Odd soared through their air with their bodies perpendicular to the floor. 

Too bad they forgot to check their height in the process.

BONK!

Odd and Jin's head smacked into each other sending the two John Woo wannabes tumbling to the floor. The hornets watched the whole thing and laughed themselves silly until they exploded.

"Least you guys got rid of the monsters." Jeremie said trying to shed some light on the event.

"Shut up Jeremie!" Odd and Jin said in unison.

* * *

Time for some fan-created outtakes. The first comes from Dr. Thinker and the outtake takes place in Teddygodzilla right after Ulrich asks Milly out to prom. 

**Take #1 **

"Ok! I know that we are the future, but this is taking it OVER the line." Sissi ranted.

Ulrich & Milly sighed. Sissi already seem to be screwing up her lines or doing a bit of insulting to other people.

* * *

**Take #2 **

"Ulrich & Milly, I want to one thing to you." Sissi ranted.

"What?" Ulrich & Milly remarked.

"This isn't a Dr. Thinker fic. So I will get you and your little friend sooooo!" Sissi laughed as evilishly as she can.

Yumi, Odd, Ulrich, Tamiya, & Milly had red from being embarrassed by another one of Sissi's bloopers.

* * *

**Take #3 **

"This IS IMPOSSIBLE. What's make you think you can do?" Sissi stated.

"I'm Superman." Ulrich joked.

"Nice one." Jin stated.

* * *

**Take #4**

Sissi just spits and spits like she was Daffy Duck. Ulrich, Jin, Odd, Yumi, Tamya, & Mily seem to have five big umbrellas (the fifth one was held by Tamiya & Milly) with them.

"That was almost perfect." Jin stated.

* * *

Again Danny le fou graces us with yet another hilarious outtake, This time it's from Image Problem during big Dirk, Clayton, Herb and Nicholas fight. 

Jin was thrown in between Odd and Ulrich while their opponents looked over them.

"Is there any way we can win?" Odd asked.

"There is one way, but I don't think you're going to like it." Ulrich replied.

"If it involves us winning, then I'm pretty much open for any suggestion." Odd shot back.

"Remember that little thing you swore you would never do again?"

"WAIT! YOU DON'T MEAN..." Odd gasped in horror.

Ulrich just nodded, and Odd sighed dejectedly.

"Alright, I'll do it."

Their four attackers plus Jin watched in confusion as the two stood side to side, a short distance away from other. Then, with perfect synchronisation, Ulrich and Odd performed a few moves that not even the lamest boys band would ever do, ending with their index fingers touching.

"FUSION!! HA!"

* * *

**Take 2**

After the light had subsided, a new person stood, sharing the physical attributes of both boys. He flexed his muscles and grinned.

"Behold, the power of Oddrich!"

"Very impressive, but there isn't any need to fight anymore." Jin said.

"What do you mean?"

Jin simply pointed at the four guys, who were currently sprawled on the ground, clutching their stomachs and roaring with laughter due to the ridiculous dance.

"Well, at least it worked." Jin deadpanned, trying not to laugh himself.

"Shut up." Oddrich growled.

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter:**

Sorry it took so long to write this but I had a lot of obligations to hold up. Thanks for being so patient with me and I promise I'll try to get these things out faster.

Now one of the biggest issues I had with the original episode was how Jeremie and the others waited until morning to check to see if Ulrich was ok. I mean come on! If I were them I would have ran right over there to see what was wrong if it meant saving my friend's life.

Well this isn't a favorite chapter in the Lyoko community so I decided to make my own special tweak to it. Since it didn't offer a lot in the character development department, I opted to show more Dirk and Clayton, more emphasis on Clayton. Clayton had always been a character I had a hard time developing since he never really said anything important in the fic, so I tired to use this chapter to give him some "star time" I also wanted to show the readers that indeed Dirk and Clayton are human beings and are on really good terms with one another. I hope this chapter gives you a new perspectives at their characters. I also showed through the course of this chapter that they are capable of doing good similar to their acts in Logbook. Don't worry, they are NOT going soft on our heros as they still hate them with a passion.

The scene with the chloroform bottle was really hard to write since doctors stopped using it as an aesthetic a long time ago so I had to come up with my own explanation for why Dorothy would have one in her office. Speaking of Dorothy, Jin's scene in the infirmary served two purposes. First, it gives the reader valuable insight on his character and second, it introduced the chloroform bottle that Dirk would use to knock out Brandon with.

Well that's all I have to say please leave a review and check my site out in my profile. Thanks for reading.


	11. Episode 9: Satellite

**Disclaimer:**

Do you guys actually know how hard it is to come up with a witty message each time I do this? Oh well...I DON'T OWN CODE LYOKO!

**Special Thanks:**

Thanks for continuing to read despite my chapter turnout has gone on the slow side.

* * *

Episode 9: Satellite 

Sissy adjusted here yellow headband on top of her head until it fit snugly in place effectively pushing back the stray strands of long black hair that had decided to drape down her face and block her vision. She took her seat in front of her mirror and began to brush her raven locks, untying the knots in her hair that developed the night before.

"Perfect" the girl said to herself while admiring her reflection in the mirror. "Beauty, charm and grace, I have it all." Upon saying that her gaze immediately lowered to the floor. "Well everything...except him."

Thoughts of Ulrich soon invaded the girl's mind halting her brushing as she began to humor the images.

"Why? Why can't he see me for how I truly am? I'm just a troublesome pest to him but he's not the only one who thinks that way."

Sissy was not a stupid girl. She knew that there were as many people who hated her guts as there were people who admired her beauty. Around certain social groups she was perceived as a spoiled little girl who would not hesitate to use her father's authority for her benefit but this was not the case. Sissy knew that she wasn't that evil and manipulative and that see did indeed have a good side. It was just that only Herb and Nicholas saw it on a constant basis. Besides, the student body of Kadic Junior High would never accept her "random acts of kindness" thinking that she was only doing them because her father was forcing her to.

"If only there was a way I could show Ulrich that I am indeed on his side." Sissy lamented to herself. Her lone comment was answered with a knock on her dorm door. Sissy stood up and answered its call.

"Ready for class?" Herb greeted Sissy with a small smile.

"Oh, it's just you." She replied unenthusiastically.

Herb and Nicholas both sighed to themselves knowing full well that was just her way of saying "it's good to see you".

"Well we better get going now" Nicholas said as he quietly entered the conversation.

"Well I'm sure today will be just exciting as always" the girl answered sarcastically once again as she stepped out of her room and began walking down the hallway.

Herb quickly noticed his friend's sense of sarcasm. "Well I hate to break it to you, but today will be just like all the other days."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning it would be just as dull as always."

During the entire conversation Nicholas noticed a slight trace of despair in Sissy's voice.

"You ok Sissy? You seemed like your bothered by something?"

Sissy was taken back by Nicholas's comment as he was able to sense the emotions she was concealing causing them to flood out of here in one loud statement.

"Of course something is bothering me but it would take light-years for any of you two stooges to even begin to comprehend any of my problems!"

Sissy covered her mouth with both of her hands as she did not mean to sound that harsh with her friends. A deafly silence fell upon the group as the two boys silently walked by her side. Sissy always wondered why Herb and Nicholas were always with her despite the fact that she would vent her frustrations on them on a constant basis. Even now, after calling her two friends stooges, they still didn't leave her presence and continued their walk to class.

"Thanks for listening guys" Sissy said with a smile.

"Don't mention it" Her friends replied simultaneously.

* * *

Unfortunately, Herb's predication on the day's lack of excitement held true for Sissy as school proved to be just as boring as always, but she wasn't the only one that day who came to that conclusion. She examined the other students in her room and saw that everyone else was wearing the same bored expression that she had. Ulrich tried his best to take notes but was prevented from doing as his eyes were just begging for more sleep while Odd already succumb to their demands and was quietly dozing off on his desk. Even the class prodigy, Jeremie, had a hard time paying attention as he impatiently tapped his pencil against his notebook all while eyeing the clock. Sissy ignored Mrs. Hertz's lecture for the day and gazed into the clear blue sky that was currently decorated by a series of fluffy white clouds. She wasn't the type of person to admire the aesthetic beauty of her surroundings considering it to be a dull task but compared to Mrs. Hertz's class, it was loads more entertaining. 

"Does anyone here wish to answer the question?" the teacher said while crossing her arms and facing her class.

Herb saw this as a golden opportunity to demonstrate his feats of intelligence to the class and eagerly raised his hand.

Mrs. Hertz acknowledged the boy's efforts. "Yes, Herb"

Before Herb could utter even one word, a symphony of cell phone rings disrupted the classroom. Every student quickly drew out their devices and spoke into the receivers clamoring the room with various greetings. Odd, Jeremie and Ulrich's suspicions were immediately aroused by the act and all exchanged worried glances at each other right before Mrs. Hertz stomped her foot drawing everyone's attention back to her.

Mrs. Hertz was irrate with the class's infraction of the school rules and intended to make an example of one of her students.

"Sissy!' Mrs. Hertz's angry voice called out as she confidently marched towards the girl. "As the principle's daughter I am sure of the fact that you're well aware of our school's policy concerning cell phones in class. Would you please remind the rest of the students about it since it's obvious that they had forgotten."

Sissy clutched her cell phone tightly knowing full well of the consequences for her actions. "All mobile phones must be turned off before entering the classroom or else they will be confiscated."

"That's correct Sissy now hand your phone over now." Mrs. Hertz repeated her order but this time with authority in her voice. "I said hand over your phone to me now!" The teacher watched Sissy comply with her demands before turning her attention towards the rest of the class. "As for the rest of you, I want all of your cell phones on my desk right this instant!"

Mrs. Hertz only allowed her class to groan for a few seconds before silencing them once more with another loud stomp.

"You heard me. Place your phones on my desk!"

By the end of the period Mrs. Hertz's desk was littered with the offending devices of her class much to her liking.

* * *

"MOVE IT PEOPLE! WOMAN ON A MISSION COMING THROUGH!" Jin yelled out to the rest of the students in the hallway as he was tailing his sister. Right when the bell rang, Yumi bolted out of her classroom's door to inform the others about the strange incident that happened in their class. 

"I SAID, MOVE IT!" Jin warned trying his best to clear a path for his sister.

Yumi weaved in and out of the crowded hallway dodging its occupants effortlessly all while trying to maintain her top running speed and to avoid an accident at the same time. Yumi turned her body sideways and squeezed herself in-between two students walking side by side as she made her way to Mrs. Hertz's class to deliver her urgent message. Ulrich, Odd and Jeremie's bodies occupied her field of vision causing her to slow down and walk at a brisk pace.

"Hey Yumi" Ulrich greeted the girl cheerfully causing her to wave back kindly.

"Something weird happened to our class today." Yumi said while darkening the expression she wore which caught the groups immediate attention. "Everyone's cell phones started ringing for no reason and..."

"The teacher confiscated them" Odd said concluding the girl's statement. "Yeah we know, the same thing happened to us too. It's really strange."

"And I thought we were the only ones who didn't choose to follow the school's policy concerning cell phones." Jin said as he made yet another spectral entrance slightly startling the group.

"Do you enjoy scaring people like that Jin?" Odd asked sarcastically.

A small grin spread across the boy's lips. "Only a little bit. So, what are we talking about?"

"About the incident a few minutes ago that caused both our class and your class to lose their cell phones." Ulrich said answering Jin's question.

"Thanks for the update, continue please."

Jeremie was the next one to speak. "It's strange isn't it? All those calls and no one on the other line. I suspect that this is XANA's doing. I'm going to check this out to confirm my suspicions."

Ulrich and the others watched Jeremie run in the opposite direction leaving their presence. Ulrich rested his hand on his chin a wore a similar expression that Yumi had when she informed them about her class's cell phone troubles.

"We better get this problem solved or else we're going to be in a bit of a jam. If XANA attacks us now then we will have no way of contacting each other. We got to get our phones back now."

* * *

Fortunately for the green-clad boy, there was another group of students down the hallway who wished to do the same thing. 

Sissy returned to her ill mood that she previously abandoned and vented a portion of her frustration on the rest of her "gang".

"I can't believe that she actually had the nerve to take away all of our cell phones!"

"Well she did have a reason to." Herb said trying his best to calm the irrate girl down. "It is part of the school policy. Even you admitted it."

Sissy stomped her foot and began to speak with newfound determination and vigor in her voice. "Well I think it's about time that policy got changed! No single teacher has the right to confiscate the cell phones of her entire class!"

"Too bad we can't just ask you're dad to change the rules around here." Nicholas said as not to be left out in the conversation.

Sissy's eyes lit up upon hearing her friend's suggestion. "Nicholas, that's a great idea!"

Herb was confused. "What ,you mean you're just going to walk up to your dad and ask him to changed the rules?! I know you've gotten away with some things because your father is the principle, but don't you think asking him to change the school rules is stretching a bit too far?"

"It's not going to be just me you dolt! I'm going to have the entire school demand to have their phones back."

"You mean like having a petition?"

"Exactly. And the only way we can get our phones back is if we get the support from all of the students."

Sissy turned her head and caught a glimpse of Jeremie, Odd, Ulrich and Yumi standing near the doorway to Mrs. Hertz's class.

"And I do mean_ all _of the students."

* * *

"This has to be XANA's doing. I mean who else even has the resources to pull something off like this?" Yumi asked trying to make sense of the whole ordeal. 

Odd wasted no time in answering her rectorial question. "Maybe the..."

"Not now Odd." The other three friends said in unison.

"Sheesh, tough crowd today." Odd casually turned his head to the left to see what was going on around him and saw a familiar group of three students walk towards them. "Ah it's Sissy, so _un_fortunate to see you."

Jin decided to thrown in his own little wise crack for the situation. "Hey look Nicholas is here! All we need is Jim and The Pop Rock Progressives are back together again. Anybody up for playing Mystery Girl again?"

Sissy was used to the insults that the "Weirdo Bunch" threw her way and she can always take it in stride for she really knew that they were just jealous of her status around school and wanted to bring her down to their level of existence. She could have replied with some scathing remarks of her own but would help anyone here today, She was going to get her fellow student's cell phones back and would do it by any means necessary. Even if those means involved her working with the "Weirdo Bunch".

"Look, I'm not here to make fun of you guys. I just want to help."

If Yumi, Odd, Ulrich and Jin's jaws were not connected to the bottom of their skulls then they would have dropped to the floor at that very instant. Sissy saw their shocked expressions and used the time to explain her actions.

"Look the school has to give back our cell phones but we have to get organized."

"Never figured you to be the political activist." Odd said underneath his breath.

"I'm holding a meeting in the auditorium after lunch today. If you want to help, show up."

"Oh don't worry, I will" Yumi replied.

Sissy had to take a step back and allowed herself to blink a few times to comprehend her rival's answer.

"Actions speak louder than words Yumi. If you really are going to help our cause then come to the meeting."

"I'm not the type to go back on my word."

Sissy gave Yumi a nod of acceptance before walking away with Herb and Nicolas right next to her.

"What just happened there?" A confused Ulrich asked Jin wondering why Yumi was so willing to help Sissy out.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Jin said slightly coolly.

Odd placed his hand on his stomach and felt it growling underneath.

"Well right now my only enemy is hunger and I would like to vanquish it with some cafeteria food. Plus I got a backup plan incase Sissy's little "political demonstration" backfires."

"Yumi which is worse? Ulrich scheming or Odd thinking on an empty stomach." Jin asked his sister slightly worried about the trouble Odd was going to throw himself into.

"The only thing worse than those two is you falling on your face."

"Toche"

The group of four made their way to the cafeteria to quell Odd's hunger. However they failed to notice a figure dressed in all black pressed up against a nearby wall.

"A meeting in the auditorium huh?" Dirk chuckled to himself. "Interesting"

* * *

The principle ate along side Jim and Mrs. Hertz as he called the two over to further discuss the day's events. 

"There's been a firestorm of request for me to hand the student's back their phones." The principle after swallowing the bite-sized chunk of meat he had in his mouth. "The students were warned about brining cell phones to the classroom and I will not let them off the hook so easily. Mrs Hertz, where have you placed the confiscated items?"

"In my locker for the time being. After today I'll move them to a more secure place."

"Since this is a widely occurring problem we have to take drastic action. We need to disable the school's antenna so that even with new phones they would be useless. Can you handle that Jim?"

Jim almost chocked on the morsel of food he was chewing. He knew absolutely nothing about electronics let alone disabling them. However a job was a job and he was given a direct order. Better him doing the deed than anyone else. He raised his right hand and gave his boss a thumbs up sign seeing how he was unable to relay the message using his mouth since it was stuffed with food.

"That's good to hear." The principle said. He then set his sights to his food and resumed eating his lunch.

* * *

"You're going to take your cell phone back?" Yumi asked shocked by the boldness of Odd's plan. 

"It's simple really. Ulrich will be on lookout while I pick the lock on Mrs. Hertz's locker."

"You're crazy" Jin said frankly.

"Look who's talking" Odd retorted.

"But isn't that stealing?" Yumi asked ignoring the exchange Odd and Jin had.

"It's not stealing when you're taking something you own back."

"I'm a little uneasy about this whole thing myself." Jin said worryingly.

"Look Jin" Ulrich answered. "We really don't have a choice here. We have to bend the rules a bit around here if it means keeping the world safe from XANA."

"You have a point there."

"Good luck" Yumi said to the boys as she watched them leave their table.

* * *

Milly scanned the latest story she wrote and checked it for any errors before saving it onto her hard drive. Not only was she a member of the school's news program but her and Tamiya also worked on the newspaper as well. The two organizations worked side by side on a constant basis and required the students to both master the written and spoken word of news. Milly was about to get up so she could get a bite to eat until she saw the small blinking envelop icon in the bottom right hand corner of her computer screen signaling that she had e-mail. Allowing her curiosity to get the best of her, Milly clicked the small icon and displayed the document so she could read it.

* * *

_Hello there Milly, attached to this simple message is the usual article I write for your paper. I just wanted to inform you that Sissy is currently holding a meeting in the auditorium concerning the school's policy on cell mobile phones as you are reading this. However you use this bit of information is up to you. I'm just informing you of what's going on right now._

_- Vafer_

* * *

"Hey Tamiya, Vafer just sent us another article for the paper." Milly said to her best friend who was currently reading a book at the time. 

"V, again?" Tamiya asked referring to the mysterious sender by the nickname she had given the person.

Vafer was a mysterious case indeed. Ever since the school started an opinion section of the school newspaper that allowed average students of Kadic Junior High to submit guest articles, Milly would keep getting submissions by this person and would always put them into the school's paper. Aside from Vafer's alias and the fact that the person was a gifted writer, the staff didn't know much about this mysterious individual.

"So Tamiya, how does the rest of the people who work on the paper feel about V?"

"Well we consider him to be part of the team now even though we don't know who Vafer really is."

"Did you hear about the meeting Sissy is organizing right now?"

"Not really, we both cleared out of the classroom pretty quickly and didn't stay to socialize. How did you find out about it?"

"V sent us a message."

"Man that person is everywhere."

Milly chuckled at the fact that their mysterious benefactor was able to get wind of a juicy story before her and Tamiya.

"Care to read the latest article that we received?"

"Sure why not."

Milly clicked the link in Vafer's message and displayed the article.

* * *

_Ever noticed how attached to our daily routines we are? That the slightest change, the tiniest disturbance in our way of life would just drive us up the wall and cause us to go to extraordinary lengths to get things back to what we perceive as "normal". Don't believe me, then analyze your own life for a second before you pass judgement upon my humble opinion. We're used to sitting in the same seat in class, eating at the same table during lunch and meeting in the same places after class but why is that? The answer is obvious, it's our nature. Human beings desire to have order in their life and by organizing their lives like this, we feel like we have some control over the universe. We want to think that everything happens in the world for a reason and that random events are everything but. If someone that you totally despised were to fall down a flight of stairs and managed to break their leg which explanation do you want to believe? He or she fell because the individual deserved punishment for the crimes that they have committed in the past or that the person was just clumsy. Most likely you would wish the first reason held truth since it puts the event in a perspective that's easy to comprehend._

_So why am I pointing out one of the many flaws that inhabit the nature of human beings? This is just a simple aspect that I noticed when I personally witness my entire classroom's population lose their cell phones. Consequently, they have organized and are now trying to overturn the school's policy and want to get their mobiles back. Human beings decide to take action once they themselves have been victimized. Do you think that the students of our classroom would have protested the rule before this incident? If we really want to create change in our society then we have to start righting the wrongs that we have created as a whole before they can cause any harm instead of just waiting for a problem to occur and change it only to maintain the status quo. Then and only then can you truly continue to fight for the future._

_- Vafer _

* * *

Milly and Tamiya stared at the computer's monitor wide-eyed as they both finished reading Vafer's analysis on human nature and why the students were so irked about having their cell phones taken away. 

"So Tamiya, will this be in tomorrow's paper?" Milly asked knowing full well the answer she was going to receive.

"When have we not published V's writings?"

"Good point, but what about Sissy's meeting?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's like what V said. We can either report the story or become a part of it. Unlike our classmates, we actually turned off our mobiles and avoided our teacher's wrath."

"I saw we join the meeting Milly!" Tamiya said excitedly.

Milly was taken back by her friend's suggestion. She knew Tamiya was a bold person but she had no idea that she possessed such audacity.

"What?!"

"Come on Milly. It's like what V said, people only get involved when they themselves have been victimized. Let's go to the meeting not as Milly and Tamiya the news reporters, but Milly and Tamiya the concerned students."

"Vafer would be so proud of you." Milly said off handedly. "Can we at least get some food at least? I'm getting pretty hungry."

"Me too"

The two girls left their dorm and walked towards the cafeteria still trying to figure out the identity of the mysterious writer.

* * *

Sissy wrote out the word petition on a large, blank sheet of white paper before she took her seat at the table she helped set up in the auditorium. 

"How are things looking outside?" Sissy yelled across the room to her friend Nicholas who was currently positioned near the auditorium's doors to keep the students at bay while she and Herb prepared the site for the meeting.

"There's a lot of people Sissy."

Under normal circumstances Sissy would have relished the attention she was going to receive but now she meant business. She had a policy to overturn, a father to defy and a cell phone to be returned to her now was not the time to please her ego.

"Ok Nicholas, let them in"

Nicholas opened the doors and soon the auditorium was flooded with eager students to help Sissy with her cause and quickly crowded around the surprised girl. Herb was fed up with the bedlam that the rest of the student's were causing, hearing their mindless chatter, listening to their pointless words swirl around him creating a black vortex of chaos and stagnation that was threatening to suck him into its dark void. Herb squeezed the grip he had on his pen even tighter, almost snapping the plastic object in two and decided to take a stand against the pandemonium. He stood on top of the table that Sissy was sitting at and began to speak

"EVERYBODY HOLD IT!" Herb's voice rang out like thunder in the auditorium catching everyone off guard. Sissy too was surprised by Herb's actions but was also relieved that he was able to quell the crowd before the meeting got out of hand.

"Look people. In order for us to complete our goal we got to get organized here. The principle of this school would not even give us the time of day if we continue to behave like an unruly mob. We have to show the faculty of this school that we're serious and that we do mean business!"

"Who died and my you king?" An unknown student shot back at Herb.

"Listen, do you want your phones back or not? This is exactly the kind of mind set that's going to kill our movement. I'm just a concerned student like the rest of you and I don't want to see Sissy's plan fail. So you can either help work with us or get the hell out!"

Herb's accuser bowed his head in shame as he began to see the truth in the boy's words and quietly stood in the auditorium's corner to avoid the accusing eyes from the other students. The occupant's attention shifted towards Herb which put him at a state of unease.

Herb stared at the crowed wide-eyed. "Me and my big mouth" he thought to himself. "Sissy's is SO going to kill me."

Herb was about to plead to his audience to stay and forgive him for his emotional outburst but then something strange happened...

They started clapping.

The entire auditorium roared with applause as Herb eloquently summed up the student's opinions and goals in one heartfelt speech. Herb gave a small bow to the student's before proudly stepping off the table that he recently converted to be his stage.

"Thank you so much Herb!' Sissy said while hugging her friend. "Now all the students are on our side."

Herb was released from Sissy's embrace and tried his best to fight back an oncoming blush but was only sightly successful. He shook his head a couple of times to bring himself back to reality before confidently standing up with a renewed sense of energy and vigor.

"It was nothing Sissy." He said confidently. "Now let's get that petition started!"

* * *

Odd and Ulrich stood outside the teacher's lounge ready to put Odd's daring plan into motion. 

"Ok Ulrich let's review one more time what we're going to do to avoid any screw ups."

Ulrich looked around the area to see if there were any teachers in the vicinity before nodding.

"Here's the plan, I'll sneak into the teacher's lounge and pick the lock on Mrs. Hertz's locker. In the meantime, you'll stand watch and see if any teachers come my way."

"Suppose somebody wants to go in the teacher's lounge. How would I warn you?"

"I don't know, be creative. Just do_ something _that would attract my attention."

"Fine"

"And don't forget to stall for me Ulrich. I'm not as fast as I am in Lyoko so you'll need to buy me some time so I can make an escape."

Ulrich was a little uneasy with all the time they were wasting going over Odd's plan and spoke out loud. "Just go Odd, we don't have all day."

"Alright then, seesh, chill out."

"Let's just get this over with."

"Such the impatient one."

Odd disappeared into the doorway and made his way towards Mrs.Hertz's locker. He didn't have to memorize a complicated series of numbers to locate the container that the woman used since all of the lockers were labeled with the teacher's name instead of a complex code on the tiny bronze placard. Odd quickly drew out the hairpin that Yumi let him borrow for this occasion and drove it into the lock's opening before twisting the crud lock pick around. He gritted his teeth as sweat dripped from his brow forcing him to struggle even further to unlock the container. Odd's inexperienced played a major role in the delay but another element was about to be introduced that was going to make his take much more difficult...

Time.

* * *

Ulrich's greatest fear came true, a teacher was going to use the staff lounge during the luch period. He had to act fast and warn his friend inside, if he was caught then their group will never get their cell phones back. It was now time for him, in Odd's words, to "get creative". 

"Hello there Mr. Leemer"

"Oh hello their Ulrich, how can I help you?"

* * *

Ulrich was being extra loud when he conversed with the teacher catching Odd's attention. He mentally thanked his friend before closing his eyes to try to calm himself down. 

"Come on Odd get a grip on yourself." The boy thought within the confines of his mind. "Yeah there is a lot riding on your success but that's still no reason for you to be mentally kicking yourself around the place. All you gotta do is just focus and hope for the best."

Odd opened his eyes and now wore a serene smile on his face. For the first time, ever since he stepped foot inside the teacher's lounge, he was able to control his racing heart and divided concentration. With one final turn of the hairpin Odd heard a click from the locker and watched the door swing open effortlessly revealing the mother load of cell phones neatly organized inside. He quickly rummaged through the plastic communication devices until he found the three phones he was looking for. Just when he was about to clean up the mess he made he heard Ulrich's voice through the doorway once more.

"Wait, Mr. Leemer, there's more stuff I need to talk to you about."

"Can it wait Ulrich? I need to take care of some quick business in the staff lounge, but I'm sure I can talk to you after that."

This was bad. Apparently Ulrich was unable to hold back the teacher anymore and he was making his way inside the room. Odd couldn't leave the room since the door was the only entrance and exit. He had to hide. Thinking on his feet, Odd ducked underneath a nearby table and scrunched himself into a ball to minimize the amount of space he took. Mr. Leemer's footsteps grew louder with each second telling Odd that he was only inches away from his current location.

The teacher removed a pen from his jacket pocket and scribbled a quick reminder for himself on the notepad he carried around. The middle-aged man moved his had too quickly and forgot to compensate for the writing utensil he was holding causing the pen to slip from his grasp.

"Whoops" the teacher said to himself as he watched the pen roll underneath the table he was standing in front of.

Odd saw a small purple pen roll underneath the table he was hiding in.

"This can't be good" he thought to himself as he pondered any other escape plans but only drew up blanks. Odd was stuck in-between a rock and a hard place and braced himself for his inevitable discovery. His nervousness returned to him tenfold as he gritted his teeth and had sweat drip from his brow once more.

Whether is be fate, karma or just plain dumb luck, Mr. Leemer never caught wind of the notion that there was a student in the staff lounge. Before today, he had slightly injured his back and did not want to bend over to pick up his pen out of risk of the pain he might experience and decided to forget about the object completely.

"I'll get that thing later." He said out loud in the room that he perceived as empty. "I need to get back to class soon and wait for my students there."

Odd listened for the door to the staff lounge close before he allowed himself to let out a huge sigh of relief.

* * *

Comments about returning to class was the last thing Ulrich expected to hear when he saw the teacher step into room that Odd inhibited. He was instantly worried about Odd's well being and strongly considered going inside to take some of the blame off his friend but saw Mr. Leemer leave without any incident. Before Ulrich could understand what's going on, he saw casually his best friend step outside. 

"How did you..."

"Hid underneath a table." Odd said calmly preempting Ulrich's question.

"So did you get them?"

"But of course. I have all three of our cell phones right here." Odd pointed to his backpack to illustrate his comment.

"What about Yumi and Jin?"

"That's a big negative. I could only get to Mrs. Hertz's locker before I was interrupted by Mr. Leemer and had to go into hiding but I would have busted into their teacher's locker too if I had enough time."

"Did I ever tell you that you're crazy before?" Ulrich said sarcastically.

"But of course."

"Then I'll just say it again, you're crazy."

"Why thank you." Odd said, taking Ulrich's insult as a compliment.

The two friends set off to Jeremie's room, eager to let them know of their success.

* * *

Jin shot out his left fist at Yumi's face which she easily dodged. Yumi grabbed her attacker's wrist with her left hand and placed her right palm onto Jin's elbow, locking the helpless boy's arm in place. 

"This is a very easy lock you can use in a fight whenever somebody throws a punch at you" Yumi said with a smile on her face.

Jin struggled to free his appendage from Yumi's grasp but found that all the pulling and tugging in the world would not release release himself from the girl's strong grip.

"Remind me why I even agreed to this little lesson."

"Well Aniki you need to diversify your combat tactics. Flashy kicks can only get you so far. It's about time you added in some defense in your style."

"I can thank Master Fong for teaching you that AHH!" Jin's statement was cut off with his cry of pain as Yumi applied pressure to the outside of his elbow causing his arm to bend slightly in an awkward direction.

"Oops. Sorry Jin, guess I kinda got carried away." Yumi apologized innocently.

Jin saw a golden moment to turn the tide in their small exchange when he saw Yumi not paying attention to the fight. Jin forced his left arm downward with his right hand and caused his sister's hands to follow suit leaving her head unguarded. He then raised his right leg and stopped his kick short so he wouldn't hit the girl.

"Mistakes like that are going to kill you sis." Jin said as he lowered his leg.

"Will you two find somewhere else to practice?" Jeremie said from the back of his dorm where Yumi and Jin were holding their impromptu lessons. "I'm trying to figure out why XANA would be interested in a bunch of cell phones and it's pretty hard to concentrate with you guys decide to use this area as your dojo."

"Sorry Jeremie" the two twins said in unison as the walked closer to the computer that the boy was sitting in front of.

"Speaking of sparing practice" Yumi said recalling all of of their previous training sessions. "You have been missing quite a few lessons yourself."

"I'm really trying to get Aelita's materialization done and I guess I lose track of time whenever I work. Besides, I'm the intellectual type, I'm no fighter."

"Hey, you deserve more credit than that." Jin said patting Jeremie on the back. "You totally wiped the floor with Burno when we got into our first fight with Dirk and Clayton. Man that brawl was just nuts!"

"Look Jeremie" Yumi said in a reassuring tone of voice. "We're not trying to turn you into a warrior or someone that you're not. We need you to operate the factory's computer whenever we go to Lyoko. It's just that we think you should know how to defend yourself since Dirk and Clayton perceive you as the weak member of our group, which isn't true I might add. Just try to remember that there is indeed another world out there and that we don't want to see you coped up in your dorm all day."

"'I'll keep that in mind but I really would love to just materialize Aelita now so we can stop fighting XANA once and for all."

"Don't we all Jeremie. Don't we all."

Jeremie's door opened revealing Odd and Ulrich in the doorway.

"Guess what we got." Odd said slowly with his hands behind his back.

"What?" The other three occupants asked at the same time.

"Here!"

Odd threw his hands in the air and allowed the three cell phones he was holding to rain down on Jeremie's bed.

Jeremie, Jin and Yumi stared at the plastic objects wide-eyed.

"I scored the cell phone jackpot baby!"

Yumi and Jin noticed that there were only three phones on the bed yet there was five people in the room."

"Umm Odd" Yumi said uneasily not wanting to destroy the boy's enthusiasm. "Looks like the casino shortchanged you a bit back there."

"That's because I couldn't break into Mrs. Hertz's locker and your teacher's within the span of five minutes. I'm no lock picking master or anything like that."

"Well at least you got three cell phones back instead of none."

"So who's going to make the first victory call?" Odd asked excitedly.

Just then, a series of small beeps, omitting from the boy's cell phones were heard causing them to look at them to look at the display screen on their mobiles. It was then they saw a familiar looking black eye surrounded by dark rings stare back at them radiating an eerie green glow.

"XANA" Jeremie said quietly to himself.

"Ok guys, this is_ seriously_ freaking me out here!" Jin said slightly frighted by XANA's emergence in this time of day.

"How is XANA able to gain access to the our cell phones right now?" Ulrich asked Jeremie.

"THE SCHOOL'S ANTENNA!"

"What?" Yumi asked confused.

"XANA must be using the school's antennae for something."

"What, so he can make long-distance calls without fear of paying the phone bill?" Jin asked wondering about their enemy's actions himself.

"I don't know Jin, but intend to find out!"

Jeremie ran to the closet in his room and pulled out a small electronic device and slipped it into his backpack.

"What's that for Eienstein?" Odd asked curious of the machine's purpose.

"This will allow me to track the radio waves being released from the school's antenna."

Ulrich was just as eager to find out about XANA's plan of attack as Jeremie was. "Well standing around here in Jeremie's dorm is not going to get us any answers. Let's get going!"

* * *

The group of five sprinted out of the door and the dorm building and made their way to the giant antenna on top of one of the school's buildings. 

Yumi was the first to depart from the party. "I'm heading over to the auditorium to the meeting I promised Sissy that I would attend.

"I'll tail my sister and lend Sissy my support."

"You're going there for a good laugh Jin?" Odd asked being the inquizitive one once more.

"Not when she's on our side." Jin then faced Yumi and prepared to go to the meeting. "Let's go sis."

"Alright Aniki."

Yumi and Jin departed from Odd, Jeremie and Ulrich's company and ran straight towards the auditorium.

* * *

Armed with only a pair of wire cutters and a complicated insturction manual about the school's antenna, Jim set forth in deactivating the complicated piece of machineary just as the principle had told him to do. The P.E. teacher opened up the small metal box attached to the wall marked "High Voltage" and exposed the dangerous wires to the outside world. 

"Ok, which wire do I cut now?" Jim asked himself and he readied the wire cutters.

"Jim stop!" Jeremie yelled as he Odd and Ulrich made their way to the rooftop.

"What are you three doing up on the rooftop? You know this area is off limits to students."

"I know Jim but don't cut the wire, it's really important that the antenna still works."

"What are you talking about now?"

Jim subconsciously moved his arm back and allowed it to brush against a live wire sending volts of electricity to shoot through his body. Jim was unable to control his movement as he stumbled backwards and tripped over the rooftop's raised ledge sending him plummeting to the floor below.

It took the combined strength of Odd, Ulrich and Jeremie to lift the their large teacher to safety.

"We'll take Jim to the infirmary. In the meantime you use that little, whatever-you-call-it and scan the school's radio waves and see what's XANA is up to." Ulrich said as he slung one of Jim's massive arms over his shoulder and watched Odd do the same.

"Check your phone to see if it still works."

Odd and Ulrich gently set Jim down and drew out their cell phones which still displayed XANA's trademark symbol. Ulrich quickly dialed Yumi's number which he memorized by heart but heard nothing on the other end of the line.

"Looks like our phones are useless right now."

"Great I was afraid of that. Get Jim to the infirmary and wait for me in my room. I'll be there shortly to tell you of my findings."

"Ok Jeremie, we will."

* * *

Nurse Dorothy finished checking up on her reserve medical supplies to see if she was well-equipped for the day before walking back to her office. It was then she heard two voices which she figured out to belong to Odd and Ulrich. 

"Hey Jim, can you hear me?" Ulrich said loudly trying to bring the man back to the world of the living.

"You know Ulrich, considering that Jim is our P.E. teacher, he was pretty heavy when we dragged him over here and placed him on the infirmary's bed. Looks like he could practice what he preaches so he could lose a couple of pounds."

Ulrich ignored Odd's last remark and continued with his efforts to bring Jim back to consciousness.

"Jim, wake up!"

"Man, is it just me or do I smell roast chicken?"

"What are you two boys doing here?" Dorothy asked her latest visitors.

"Jim got hurt and we dragged him here so you can help him recover."

It was then when the nurse saw Jim's body and became worried for her co-worker's health.

"Jim! What happened?"

"Oh you know Jim, he's a regular live wire." Odd answered back jokingly.

Ulrich decided to give the woman and more straight forward answer. "We were on the rooftop um...helping him with disabling the school's antenna when all of a sudden he accidently touched an exposed wire and was electrocuted on the spot."

"Thank you for brining Jim into my care. I'll see what I can do to help him recover from his injuries. You've done all that you could. Now leave me to my work."

Odd and Ulrich stepped out of the infirmary's doors and heard it close behind them.

"Well I'm glad Jim is safe." Odd said with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I would really hate it if he got killed back there. Jim might be a little mean at times but I can tell that he really is a nice guy."

"Man Ulrich that was really corny of you." Odd slightly scoffed.

Ulrich said nothing more and began to walk in the direction of Jeremie's room.

* * *

"Now let's see what our old friend XANA is up to." 

Jeremie set down his book bag on the floor and gently removed his tracking device from the backpack's pocket. The blonde-haired boy turned his ear towards the machine's speaker as it released a series of loud clicks, beeps and wails all while pointing the curious individual towards the direction the radio waves were going. Jeremie's search concluded once he found the waves converged in one area, an area that yielded more questions then answers.

"The city's TV antenna?"

* * *

Milly finished up signing the last few letters of her name before placing the pen down and looking up at Sissy. 

"I hope you succeed with your petition."

"Thanks" Sissy said with a genuine sense of gratitude as she watched Milly take her place amongst the throng of people. Sissy heard the auditorium's doors open and saw a figure dressed in all black and another one wearing a combination of the first color along with white and red.

"Ah Yumi and Jin, have decided to finally grace us with their presence. Where were you two when we came up with the petition?!" Sissy held up the piece of paper to Yumi's face to punctuate her accusation.

Jin leaned over to Yumi and whispered something in her ear so that only she could hear it.

"Man this plan has holes so big I think I can put my fist through them."

Just then, the big double doors opened once more and two more people made their way to Sissy's table. The entire student body that was present was immediately silenced once they saw the two people who decided to pay them a visit. Jin took one good look at Sissy's latest "supporters" and smiled at his sister.

"Speaking of putting my fist through something" Jin said slyly.

"Quite a meeting we have here." Clayton commented.

A circle began to form around the four students as they watched Jin and Yumi stare a hole through the troublesome duo.

"Listen you two." Yumi said sharply. "I have no time to be playing games right now."

"Neither do I" Dirk said calmly as he casually used his shoulder to shove Yumi out of his way.

The Japanese girl was only slightly upset with Dirk rudeness and gave him a peeved look while Jin was less forgiving. He reared his fist back and aimed his punch at the back of Dirk's head but found his arm being pulled back.

"Not now" Yumi said softly as she held onto Jin's fist preventing him from starting a fight in the auditorium. The boy listened to her words and dropped his arm and allow Dirk and Clayton to walk away forever ignorant of the favor that Yumi did on their behalf.

The rest of the students who witnessed Dirk and Clayton's callous attitudes felt their tempers began to flair in a similar fashion.

"What do you two want to do?" Sissy said with her arms folded across her chest bracing herself for whatever evil the Troublesome Duo had concocting in their minds.

Dirk didn't even get a chance to respond to Sissy's question as Nicholas stepped forward so that he stood toe-to-toe with the potential threat and looked him square in the eye.

"Don't you even think about hurting Sissy or disrupting her plans in any way!"

Dirk was not intimated by the fiery look in Nicholas's eyes for he had seen more threatening gestures in his life.

"I said I'm not in the mood!" Dirk repeated but this time more harshly.

Herb too confronted the smaller half of the Troublesome Duo.

"Do you have any idea who you're messing with cause obviously you don't! That's the principle's daughter sitting behind that table and if you do _anything_ to her she will personally make sure that you won't be able to get near this campus without getting hauled away in a police car!"

The remaining students in the auditorium rallied behind Herb and Nicholas as they saw this as a golden moment to strike back at the two school bullies as retribution for their unlawful acts at the school. They all closed in the gap they originally created and gave the two boys a series of menacing looks.

"You might be good at fighting Dirk and you man have one of the strongest kids in school with you." Nicholas commented. "But do you really think you can take all of us on at once?"

Dirk and Clayton were put on the defensive. Thirty versus two were not good odds. Especially if those thirty individuals were all people you wronged in the past.

* * *

Jin and Yumi were also shocked by the spectacle themselves. 

"You think we should get in there Aniki?" Yumi asked not knowing what to make heads or tails of the sight.

"Naw, I think Sissy and the other's have this one under control." Jin said with a smile. "Just sit back and watch the show."

Jin waited for a moment when his sister looked away and faced the girl and looked at her. "Good job Sissy" Jin said with a smile happy to see the principle's daughter embrace her good side out of her own free will.

* * *

Dirk and Clayton were surrounded by countless angry students. Despite the danger that the two friends were now in, the Troublesome Duo made no effort to defend themselves from the angry mob. 

"HOLD IT!" Clayton's loud voice roared throughout the auditorium silencing their potential attackers momentarily giving Dirk ample time to explain himself.

"Spare us the theatrics. We are not here to cause any trouble."

"WHAT?!" Said every student within the area of Dirk's voice as the all stepped back giving the two some breathing room.

Dirk reached into his shirt's pocket and withdrew a black pen and made his way to Sissy's desk where he promptly signed his name. Clayton then took the pen from Dirk and applied his own unique signature to Sissy's petition.

"Don't let this be a waste of our time." Clayton with a serious look on his face.

Sissy answered back with a grin of her own before taking back the piece of paper from the large boy.

"Don't worry, it won't."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Came an elderly voice from the other side of the room which Sisssy recognized as her father's. "A teacher that was passing by told me of your "little meeting" and I came to investigate. Now you better have a good reason for what you're doing here."

Now was the moment that would make or break Sissy's movement. Father or no father, the principle of Kadic Junior High had committed a transgression against his students by enacting such an unfair policy concerning cell phones, and if it required his own daughter to point out his tyrannical practices then she would gladly bear any punishment she would have to endure.

"Oh yeah" Sissy said confidently after regaining her composer in front of her supporters. "What is the meaning of this?!" Sissy marched in front of her father and number one adversary and presented to him her petition filled with the signatures of countless students."We signed a petition so you have to give our cell phones back!"

"Incase you have forgotten." Sissy's father had adapted a similar business-like-attitude that his daughter had. "You attend a school where the teachers make the rules for the students to follow, not the other way around.."

"Well I think it's about time we made some changes. We want our cell phones back this instant!"

"Listen here, during the lunch period a student went into the staff lounge and forced Mrs. Hertz's locker open to reclaim their mobile along with the phones of some other students. This is more the reason why I shouldn't return your phones to you."

"Odd" both Yumi and Jin whispered to themselves.

"Well who could blame them?" Sissy countered. "Everybody needs their mobile or else they'll just go crazy if they don't have it."

"My decision is no, and that's my final answer."

"Don't think you got us beat so easily. We will come back, stronger than ever!"

* * *

Jin and Yumi were once again speechless with the level of defiance that Sissy projected onto her father. 

"Who knew the girl had it in her?" Jin said stunned by the girl's emotional outburst.

"I'm equally as surprised as you are Aniki. But never the less we should join the others now and see if Jeremie found anything about XANA."

The Ishiyama siblings both walked outside and saw Ulrich and Odd casually strolling down the campus's grounds.

"Hey Ulrich, what happened?" Yumi called out to her companions.

"Well Jim was trying to cut the power off to the school's antenna but ended up electrocuting himself in the process."

"Is he alright?"

"Don't worry about him. Odd and I dropped him off in the infirmary and Nurse Dorothy is taking care of him."

"Well that's good to hear"

"Jeremie told us to meet him in his room and he'll tell us about his findings."

"Sounds like a plan to me" Jin said while clapping his hands together and rubbing them in invisible soap.

* * *

Yumi closed the door behind her after Ulrich and Jin stepped into Jeremie's dorm. Odd departed to his room after realizing that he needed to feed Kiwi his lunch and told the rest of the group that he would catch up with them soon. The Japanese girl looked up and saw that her friend was already frantically typing away at this keyboard trying to make sense of his latest discovery. 

"So Jeremie, what did your little machine tell you?"

"Well according to the readings, XANA is using our school's antenna to gain access to the TV station nearby. From there, he could take control of any satellite that's in orbit and..." Jeremie stopped speaking at let the open end of his statement to hang in the air.

"And what?" Ulrich asked gesturing with his hands waiting for Jeremie to continue.

"And that's all I have so far."

Ulrich threw his hands up in the air. "Are we going to get any answers for today? All we keep getting are more and more questions!"

"What's going on?" Odd asked as he opened Jeremie's door with one arm while using the other one to hold his precious dog against his body.

"XANA is trying to get a hold of the city's TV station so he could control any satellite circling our planet but Jeremie doesn't know why." Ulrich responded coldly.

"Maybe XANA want's some good quality programing in Lyoko since he's really bored down there."

Jeremie was about to give a counter point at Odd's wise crack but was halted once he saw Aelita's face in his computer monitor.

"Jeremie! XANA has just activated a tower in the polar region!"

Jin slapped himself in the forehead with his palm. "Man not the polar region AGAIN. This is the third time we're going down there. For such an advanced super computer, XANA likes to reuse ideas frequently."

Odd slowly set Kiwi down on Jeremie's bed and gave him a strick command to follow.

"Kiwi stay!"

Odd was the last one to leave the room and he made sure that his dog was inside before he closed the door. The tiny dog was not in the mood was not in an obedient mood that day for he pounced on the door's handle and gripped it with his teeth, opening it in the process and allowing him to follow his owner without any problems.

* * *

Sissy paced back and forth and accessed the large collation of students she was able to amass within a such a short notice. 

"Ok people, looks like we have to go to Plan B. We will wage an all out strike against the school. Are you with me?"

The students cheered in their support.

"Ok, looks like we have our signs ready now all we need is a chant and then we'll be ready. Anybody have any suggestions?"

The students were at a loss of words and could not come up with a saying that was worthy of their cause. All the students...except Nicholas.

"How about no more cell phones no more school?"

Sissy pointed her finger at the boy and was ready to snap back another insult but was immediately charmed by the simplicity and straight forwardness of her friends suggestion.

"I like it! Ok people you heard him, repeate after me. No more cell phones no more school! No more cell phones no more school!"

Sissy's supporters rallied behind the slogan and began chanting along side with the girl as they made absolutely sure that the entire faculty of Kadic Junior High was able to hear their demands.

* * *

"Now it's time to ask everybody's favorite question. Who goes where?" Jin said re-using his game show announcer voice. 

"I'll stay at the school incase XANA tries to attack it." Yumi said once again removing herself from the front line in Lyoko.

"I suggest that the rest of us head to the factory. Since we do not know what XANA is planning we might as well focus as much resources we can in deactivating the tower so we can end this quickly. Jeremie said while looking at the remaing members of the group.

"Good thinking Jeremie." Ulrich said while nodding.

"I'm always itching for a fight in Lyoko" Odd replied excited for the upcoming battle.

"You know your idleness is not helping us in anyway" Sissy accused while making her presence known in the conversation. "If you say your on our side then let's see it Little Miss Yumi." The overall stress of the day were having a negative effect on Sissy as she spoke with a little hint of arrogance in her voice.

"Don't worry Sissy, I'm with you one-hundred percent." Yumi marched her way to the protest line waving her fist in the air. "No more cell phones, no more school! No more cell phones, no more school!"

"What about you Jin? You in or not?"

Jin really did want to stay at the school and guard his sister from the forces of XANA but Jeremie was right. XANA had be real meticulous in covering his tracks and concealing his plans. Jin had absolutely _no_ idea what to expect and would only offer his enemy another ignorant target.

"I'd love to stay and help but my arm is killing me right now" Jin bluffed as he remembered his previous training session with his sister in Jeremie's dorm just a few minutes ago. He rubbed his left elbow to complete the charade.

Sissy was suspicious with the elder Ishiyama's injury. "How did you manage to hurt yourself within the span of half-an-hour?!" She asked slightly shocked.

"Do you know who you're talking to? I'm Jin Ishiyama, The Master of Disaster, but if you must have a straight faced answer I'll give you one."

"Go on, I'm listening."

"My sister was teaching me a new lock to use that was ideal for countering punches and kind of got carried away with her lesson and worked a good number on my arm."

"Oh really?" Sissy said placing her hands on her hips still skeptical of Jin's explanation.

Fortunately for Jin, Yumi did not manage to venture too far off and was able to hear the conversation between her brother and Sissy.

"Sorry Sissy" Yumi apologized making Jin's claim seem more convincing. "Aniki isn't seriously hurt but I think it's in his best interest if he was to go home and rest up."

The gaze Sissy gave Jin soon softened as a wave of concern washed over her body driving away most of the business she was harboring when she first confronted Yumi. She couldn't force an injured person into her protest, that would just be inhuman and barbaric of her. Sure she wanted to change the school's policy concerning mobile phones but if it meant that she had to force students to help her against their will then the cost of her movement would be too high.

"Hope your arm feels better soon." Sissy said with a smile on her face.

Hearing her words of sincerity, Jin flashed Sissy a small smile which she interpreted it as another insult.

"What's so funny Jin? Ready to crack a joke about my efforts in restoring the school's mobile phones to their rightful owners?"

Jin slowly shook his head side to side."You've come a long way."

"What?" Sissy examined not sure what to make heads or tails about Jin's last remark.

Jin said nothing more and walked away to join Odd, Ulrich and Jeremie's company. That was the _real _Sissy he saw today. The Sissy that was more concerned with helping others and not her superficial looks. The same Sissy who was willing to risk her life to help him when the giant teddy bear attacked during the school's prom on the first day he came back. The first day he saw the good side of her.

"Shall we get going gentlemen?" Jeremie asked while gesturing towards the forest.

"But of course" Odd replied frankly.

The four heroes made this way to their hidden manhole cover and began their decent into the sewers depths. Odd was the last one to take hold of the ladders iron bars when he noticed a certain four-legged partner patiently waiting for some one to care for him.

"Kiwi, what are you doing here. I specifically told you to stay in Jeremie's room."

"Wait a minute, Kiwiw is here?" Jeremie said perplexed who was right underneath Odd.

"Yep and he won't go away. Look, go back Kiwi."

Kiwi's only response was to sit on the ground and blankly stare at Odd.

"Ok, you can come."

"For such a small dog, he can be as stubborn as a mule."

* * *

Jeremie quickly rushed to his trusty computer in the factory and established his connection on Lyoko with Kiwi curled up into a small ball by his feet. 

"Ok, now let's see what's XANA wants to do with all of the satellites in space"

Jeremie brought up a display of the city's television antenna and launched a program to track the radio wave's progress as they were fired into space. With that out of the way, Jeremie turned his full attention to Odd, Ulrich and Jin who were about to enter the scanner room.

"Ok guys, we don't know what we're up against so be extra careful when you're on Lyoko."

"Don't worry Jeremie, we were thinking the same thing down here." Ulrich said looking at one of the many camera's that littered the factory.

"Get ready to take the plunge."

The friends entered the tall brown cylinders and prepared themselves for another trip to Lyoko.

"Ok here we go. Transfer Odd. Transfer Ulrich. Transfer Jin."

The all three scanner doors closed at Jeremie's command and began to release their loud mechanical hum.

"Scanner Odd. Scanner Ulrich. Scanner Jin."

Jeremie then uploaded all three characters into the computer making sure that the transfer process went by smoothly. He then struck a single key with his index finger and started his friend's trip into the virtual world.

"Virtualization"

* * *

Yumi sat in the large circle of students positioned in front of the principle's office and was impressed with the overall level of organization that the protest possessed. 

"No more cell phones, no more school!" "No more cell phones, no more school!" The students chanted with their voices united.

Yumi was wary of anything suspicious tricks that XANA was pulling while at the same time trying her best to fit in with the crowd. Yumi soon conformed to the movement.

"No more cell phones, no more school! No more cell phones, no more school!" Yumi chanted along side the others.

* * *

Jeremie heard his computer beep signaling that his program finished tracking XANA's radio waves. 

"Now let's see which satellite XANA has selected to use."

Jeremie scrolled down the list of potential satellites that XANA could control until his program located the desired machine.

"Now let's see here" Jeremie said while reading a brief description about the satellite's capabilities. "V-4668...OH NO!"

* * *

"You know where the activated tower is Aelita?" Ulrich asked the pink-haired girl. 

"All we have to do is follow this pathway and we'll find us there in no time."

"Guys, I have finally found out what XANA has been up to all this time!" Jeremie communicated to the Lyoko party. "He's taken control of satellite V-4668!"

"You gotta explain these sort of things to us Einstein. I don't believe the three of us known much about satellites." Odd answered back slightly peeved by the lack of information he was getting.

"V-4668 is a highly technological and destructive military satellite."

"MILITARY SATELLITE?!"

Ulrich turned towards the direction of the tower that XANA had activated and faced the three individuals behind him. "Then we have no time to waste. Lead the way Aelita!"

Aelita ran down the ice bridge with Odd, Jin and Ulrich following closely behind her.

"So what is XANA going to have the satellite shoot at?" Ulrich asked, trying to get a general understanding of XANA's scheme.

"Well he's not going to fire at the factory." Odd threw his two cents in. "He wouldn't shoot at himself."

"If XANA were to shoot at the school, there would be countless people that could be injured and killed!"

"Don't forget Ulrich." Jeremie butted in. "Yumi is still there so most likely that's what he'll do."

"We have to find a way to get in contact with her so she can evacuate the school and get the students to safety." Ulrich suggested.

"That's an excellent idea Ulrich, but without a mobile phone we can't notify her about the danger she's in."

"WELL THINK OF SOMETHING!"

Jeremie desperately searched the factory's computer room for anything that could be used to contact the stray girl. His solution came to him in the form of a sleeping animal lying near his feet.

"You two foucus on protecting Aelita so she can deactivate the tower. Don't worry about Yumi and the school, I'll handle this one."

Jeremie reached into his backpack and drew out a small piece of paper and a black pen and scribbled a note for Yumi to read and stuffed it into Kiwi's red collar.

"Listen Odd, I have to use Kiwi to deliver a message to Yumi. Do you think he can handle such a task?"

"Kiwi is a smart dog. I'm sure he'll pull through."

"Ok here goes nothing. I'm off to send Kiwi back. Wish him luck."

* * *

Kiwi was really close to all of his owner's friends and considered Yumi, Ulrich, Jin and Jeremie as an extension of his family so he had no qualms about being carried around by one of Odd's companions. Jeremie climbed the sewer's ladder and placed the dog on top of the grass so he could deliver Jeremie's words of warning. 

"Ok Kiwi, make sure you find Yumi ok?"

Kiwi let out a small bark of agreement as he sensed the threat that loamed over the girl right before his disappeared from Jeremie's sight.

"Smart dog. Stubborn, but very smart." Jeremie commented as he watched the dog run towards the school.

* * *

Jin knew that his sister was in harm's way once again when she volunteered to stay behind and guard the school. Alarm bells started ringing in his head as he realized the potential danger Yumi was in. 

"I will not let this happened!" Jin yelled out while quickening his pace in Lyoko.

Adrenaline pumped through Jin's veins causing his eyes to narrow and his muscles to tightened. He was going to protect his sister at all cost. Even if he had to risk immediate death to do so.

Jeremie was slightly out of breath once he returned to his computer chair positioned in front of the monitor and wasted no time to inform his friends of their latest enemy.

"Ok guys, according to the holomap, the tower should be roughly twenty feet away from you, but be careful, the area is most likely guarded..."

"By the waspsters, we know." Ulrich finished off Jeremie's statement as he faced down the five enemies hovering in front of him. Ulrich stood on the left side of Jin and gripped his sword handle ready for the upcoming battle.

Odd too readied himself for the confrontation and raised his wrist and pointed it at the enemy. The hornets on their part made no effort to attack or even move as the stared down the three heroes who just wanted to rid themselves of their existence.

"What are they waiting for?" Odd whispered wondering why the waspsters were so inactive.

"They're probably just trying to stall you" Jeremie concluded. "Find a way to get past them."

"Now you're talking my language. Laser Arrow!"

Odd took it upon himself to instigate the upcoming fight and launched the small yellow dart at the crowd of hornets and watched the group dispersed.

"Watch out for their acid. It will eat through your lifepoints." Jeremie warned the others.

Ulrich unsheathe his sword and brandished the deadly weapon at his adversaries. "Thanks for the heads up Jeremie."

The hornets took their turn on the offensive and fired two lasers at the group which Ulrich swiftly blocked with ease. It was then he saw out of the corner of his eye Aelita run ahead and take shelter behind a nearby boulder..

To bad XANA's monsters also noticed the girl's carelessness.

"Aelita, NO!" Jeremie screamed into his microphone as he saw the hornets fly towards the defenseless girl and release five deadly streams of acidic green liquid.

Just before the toxic substance came into contact with Aelita's body, she felt a strong force tug at her arm. She turned her head and saw a familiar pair of black sunglasses and a warm smile looking back at her.

"You might not want to touch that sort of stuff. It's bad for your health you know." her rescuer warned.

Aelita noticed that both of Jin's hands were empty. Meaning that he had yet to select a weapon and was currently unarmed. Jin pulled Aelita away from the hazardous ooze and watched her take cover behind Odd and Ulrich before he himself reclaimed his original position in between the two fighters.

"Aelita, don't worry about the enemies. That's their job."

"Looks like we'll just have to go to Plan B now" Odd remarked.

"What's Plan B?" A confused Jin asked.

"I'll let you know when I think of it."

* * *

Kiwi casually strolled out of the forest and spotted a female sitting cross-legged in the grass clad in all black a female he identified as Yumi. Kiwi recalled the urgency in Jeremie's voice and the worried look he wore when he issued his command to find the girl. 

Yumi felt something soft brush up her leg and spotted the dog who was so desperately trying to get her attention.

"Kiwi, what's wrong?" Yumi knew something was seriously wrong if Odd was willing to send his dog into the fray. "Hey there's something stuck in her collar." Yumi began to realize why Kiwi was here in the first place. A realization that she wasn't able to elucidate thanks to outside interference.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Came the principle's voice, choosing that exact moment to first venture into the protest group. It was then he noticed two unusual features within the demonstration. Number one, Yumi Ishiyama, a normally well-behaved student was in the circle with the rest of the students, and second, there was a dog near her leg.

"Is that a dog? Yumi, you know that is a direct violation of school rules! Come to my office right now."

"Hey did you just see that?" Sissy interrupted. "The dictator is taking Yumi away." Sissy strengthened her resolved and faced her comrades. "We're not going to just stand here and let him do this. Free Yumi! Free Yumi!"

The principle did not pay heed to their request.

* * *

The Japanese girl followed the principle's lead and entered the mans office with Kiwi right behind her. She took her seat in the brown chair positioned in front of the large brown desk and watched the man's quest for answers. 

"Yumi I don't understand what's going on. Mysterious cell phone calls, a strike, a dog. All of this madness has to end!"

Yumi still remembered the small note that was stuffed in Kiwi's collar and waited for an ideal opportunity to seize the piece of paper.

"I just don't know what to make of this. You were always such a sensible student."

Yumi watched the principle throw his arms up in the air wishing for the answers to just rain down upon him. This was the moment that Yumi had been waiting for. Concealing her unnecessary movement as her tying her shoelace, she quickly grasped the small note and read it silently. The principal noticed Yumi's body hunched over and demanded her attention.

"Yumi!" The man said sternly.

Yumi crumpled the note before leaving the office.

"Where are you going!" The principle spoke as if he was giving an order rather than he was asking a question.

"I'm sorry sir but I have to go and I suggest that you do too. In fact, all of the students in this school should get as far away as the building as possible!"

The principal heard the door slam shut and reacted by leaning back in his chair.

"This is going to be a real long day."

* * *

Odd, Jin and Ulrich continued thier intense standoff against the waspsters in Lyoko with both sides showing no intentions to yielding to the other. 

"Ok guys, I've come to a decision" Jeremie communicated through the intercom. "There are too many hornets for you to fight. One of you guys has to make the sacrifice and create a diversion so that the others can get to the tower."

Odd wasted no time in fulfilling Jeremie's request and stepped forward while raising his arm towards the hovering group of adversaries ahead of him.

"Laser Arr..."

BANG!

Odd's attack was cut off by a loud gunshot behind him. The bullet flew through the air and clipped the middle hornet's left wing causing it to temporally lose balance in mid-flight.

"Next time I'll make sure that my next shot hits" Jin said as he walked beside Odd with both of his pistols drawn.

"Jin what are you doing?!"

"Getting myself killed so you don't have to. Look Odd, my sister is in some serious danger back at the school and if something bad happens to her I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life. I need to get out of Lyoko so I can warn her of XANA's true plans. Plus I'm still a rookie here while both you and Ulrich have plenty more experience than me. You would do a much better job with covering Aelita then I could ever do."

"Jin stand down" Jeremie ordered from the confines of the computer room. "I know your character was made to disorient the enemy but you're far too weak to take on five hornets by yourself. Besides, the only way you can stand a chance with fighting those things is if you use you're power but I don't think they'll let you stay still long enough for you to even activate it."

Jin had already factored in the waspter's unwillingness for him to use his trademark move and thought of a suitable counter measure for it.

"If my sister's life is at stake, then I'll just have to change things up a little bit more than usual huh? Ok XANA, let's rock!"

Jin planted his feet firmly into the snow-covered surface of the polar region and threw both his arms back.

"Ready, PSYCHO CRUSHER!"

"Psycho Crusher?" Odd asked not knowing what to make heads or tails of what was going on.

"Believe me when I say this Odd" Jeremie answered. "I did not program a "Psycho Crusher" into Jin's character."

"That's because this is something I came up with myself." Jin replied, filling in the blanks in Odd and Jeremie's explanations.

"On no" the two said simultaneously.

The Lyoko gunner dove headfirst towards his enemies and began to initiate his special technique. Jin outstretched both of his arms in front of him and used the enhanced agility he received while occupying the virtual world to spin his body in the air sideways. The boy's unique dive proved to be a hard target for the hornets to handle as their lasers passed harmlessly by his twisting form. Jin chuckled to himself as he pictured the destruction he was going to cause.

"Now for the real fun to begin" he thought to himself.

Normally the act of diving forward coupled with spinning in the air would prove to be a difficult position for the average person to aim a gun straight...

but then again, Jin was blessed with some unique talents that the average person did not possess.

"Bullet Barrage!"

The waspters were at the mercy of Jin's rampage for they were unable to respond accordingly while the fighter was in the and helplessly watched him take cover behind a nearby boulder. Jin reached into his white over shirt and produced his last two clips of ammunition that he had in Lyoko and replaced the spent magazines that had already been discharged before diving out of his hiding place and running away from his friends to draw the hornet's fire away from them.

The waspters were not going to let their opponent utilize the same trick on them twice and took appropriate counter measures to put an end to the boy's assault and gain the upper hand in the five on one battle. The hornets deduced amongst themselves that the first step in victory in this exchange was to cripple the elder Ishiyama's movement so that he would be an easier target to overpower. The lead hornet adjusted it's aim to compensate for its moving target before firing its own laser into it's adversary's leg.

Jin's only warning of the oncoming attack was a high pitch wail produced by the hornet before it fired but that alone did not give him ample time to dodge the attack. Jin's left leg was struck by the beam of red light as scalding pain was being registered by his brain. He holstered his pistol in his left had and tightly clutched the injured limb and continued to limp onward.

The lead hornet was only slightly impressed with its enemy's display of endurance, but only used that fact as justification to deal yet another devastating blow. It ordered two other waspsters to unleash another deadly stream of acid at their opponent.

The burning sensation in his arm was the only feeling that Jin payed heed to after the deadly liquid came into contact with his left arm. He cradled the damaged appendage with his right arm dropping his gun in the process. The two attacks proved to be too much for Jin to handle as he collapsed on one knee to unable to move another inch.

"Jin, between the lasers and the acid you only have twenty lifepoints left!" Jeremie yelled at him.

"Well you said someone needed to make a sacrifice so I really should of expected something like this to happen."Jin said through his teeth.

"Staying in the prone position is not going to do anyone good. Get moving!"

Jeremie was right, the hornets saw a golden chance to finish off one Aelita's defenders and were intending not to let it go to waste.

* * *

Yumi ran back to Sissy and her protest group so she could get them away from the deathtrap known as Kadic Junior High. 

"Yumi, did my father let you go?"

The tired girl took a few crucial moments to catch her breath before she faced the student advocate leader.

"I escaped while he wasn't looking because..." Yumi was about to reiterated the message she read on Kiwi's collar about the rouge satellite threatening to destroy the school but cut herself off so that she wouldn't alert the outside world about XANA and his threat to the human race.

"Because?" Sissy asked.

Yumi realized that she had yet to complete her explanation. Thinking quickly on her feet she thought of a way to both evacuate the school and conceal the truth but she needed Sissy's "cooperation" for her plan to work.

"Because getting our cell phones back is more important than anything else!" Yumi surprised herself on how convincing her lie really sounded. "In fact I think it's time for use to take this demonstration to a whole new level."

"Whole new level?"

"I say we march into town and get all of the schools on our side. Who's with me!"

Sissy nodded in agreement with Yumi's suggestion and motioned her arm towards the street.

"Come on guys, let's go!"

* * *

Now one member short, Aelita, Odd and Ulrich ran across the narrow pathway that winded its way around the polar region while Jin tried his best to hold off XANA's minions to buy them some more time. 

Aelita's curiosity got the best of her as she stopped and watched the battle on the adjacent platform causing Odd and Ulrich to follow suit. The three friends then saw Jin take a stream of acid collide into his leftt arm causing him to fall on his knees yielding to the punishment he was receiving.

"JIN!" Aelita cried out as she felt a certain sense of obligation to go back and help the boy in his desperate fight for survival.

Odd placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and slowly shook his head from side to side.

"There's nothing we can do now Aelita. Jin knew the risks by accepting to be the decoy. The only thing we can do is deactivate the tower so that his sacrifice was not wasted."

Despite the volumes of truth that Odd's words contained, Aelita couldn't help be continue to watch the exchange hoping that Jin would find some way of overcoming the situation victorious.

But that wish would never come true.

"Jin, you need to get up and fight back!" Jeremie screamed into the computer's microphone trying his best to motivate the lone fighter to continue his onslaught.

"Believe me that's kinda hard to do when my entire left side is just killing me right now. Where the heck is that pain killing program you have?! I'm getting slaughtered out here and the last thing I want to do is to let them kill me like this!"

"Don't worry, it will activate soon"

"How soon? I don't think those waspsters will be kind enough to wait and let me get up and walk all of this off!"

"Just give it some time."

As if on command, Jin felt the pain that was once consuming him instantly reduce to nothing more than a mind-numbing ache. Jin didn't need to be told twice what to do next. Not wasting anymore time, Jin quickly rolled out of the path of the incoming lasers that were just destined to take his life and picked up his discarded firearm.

"Way to go Jin!" Jeremie cheered on, relieved that the gunman still had enough fight left in him.

"Now is not the time to celebrate" Jin said seriously before firing four quick shots into the group of hornets and managing to destroy one of them. He quickly flashed a quick smirk at the four remaining survivors and twirled his pistols around his index fingers.

"That's more like it."

"That was wonderful!"

Jin expected that congratulatory comment to come from Jeremie but instead those words of encouragement came were from a female and originated behind him. The Japanese boy quickly turned around and saw a pink speck of color out in the distance.

"Aelita, what are you doing here?! Get to the tower! I can't keep these hornets away for long!"

Jin shifted his attention back towards the fight and pointed his weapons of choice at the crowd of flying insects.

"You know the drill XANA. LET'S RO.."

The waspsters did not even let him finish his quote as they eagerly watched their four lasers collied into their opponent's chest.

Aelita saw Jin's body slowly fade into nothing more than a three-dimensional outline of its former self before it completely evaporated completely from existence.

"NO!"

Odd then noticed that the remaining four waspters had just centralized their attention upon them and were now currently flying in their direction.

"Guys I really hate to spoil such an emotional moment but it looks like our friend had only managed to destroy only one of those things. We gotta get moving now!"

Ulrich rested his hand on the hilt of his blade and stared down the incoming assailants.

"Jeremie, where do you say the tower was again?"

"Just follow the ice path. It leads to a clearing to where the tower is."

"Odd, cover Aelita. I'll take the lead. Things could get messy here."

Ulrich sprinted ahead and prepared himself for the dangers that the frozen patch of ground held in store for him and his friends.

* * *

The fact that XANA now had control of an extremely powerful and deadly satellite both horrified and fascinated him all at the same time. His curious nature was greatly appealed to with such a technologically advanced piece of machinery. There were so many questions that aimlessly floated around the hodgepodge of eclectic ideas and thoughts which swam within the contours of his skull. But amongst all of the inquires that his mind was processing, there was one thought that nagged him to no end. Forcing itself out through any orifice that would grant it permission to leak through. 

What sort of destruction was this satellite capable of?

The possibilities, endless. The speculations, numerous. Each and every potential answer that would dare creep into his subconscious was instantly noticed, all the while driving his interest up the wall. He just had to find out if he wished to maintain a certain level of sanity. Jeremie's fingers quickly brushed against several keys on his keyboard and hacked into the satellite's targeting system overlooking the world map.

"Now let's see what this thing can do."

A small white box zipped across the map's display and zeroed in on a small country before zooming for a more detailed look giving off a relatively accurate display of buildings and the general scenery. This sight alone did not generate any excitement from the anxious boy. In fact, it received the opposite reaction. All of that money the government spent putting this satellite in orbit and the best it could do was get an overhead shot of the city.

"Looks like this thing dose not live up to all of the hype it's been generating....WHAT THE?!"

Jeremie's eyes traced the pathway that the small white box had etched on the screen while it honed in on a building in far horizon which later turned out to be that of Kadic Junior High.

"Looks like I made my judgment a little too soon concerning V-4668. For it to pinpoint one building out from space is insane! I just hope Yumi got my message."

Unfortunately satellite V-4668 still had more surprises in store for him.

Jeremie watched the white targeting icon zoom in again locating several heat signatures moving towards the city in one swift pass.

"I don't believe this!"

The satellite magnified its field of vision one last time before selecting its desired target. A target that Jeremie knew fairly well.

"YUMI!"

Just then the elevator doors began to hiss loudly, letting a thick cloud of steam to escape from its cracks. Jin staggered into the computer room and readjusted his cordless head phones so they fit snugly around his ears.

"Got any news for me?"

Jeremie did not skip a beat in reporting his latest findings.

"Jin, the satellite is after Yumi and is going to fire in a few minutes!"

"No rest for the wicked" Jin scoffed before riding the elevator to the surface.

* * *

"High school students. Middle school students. One for all and all for one!" The students shouted in harmony. 

Yumi was happy that Sissy played into her plan and agreed to march into town. A bluff that would even make Dirk Kap Hwan proud. She didn't even mind Nicholas's latest chant that he supplied to the rest of the protestors for it was very simple and straight forward. It was just that the throng of students was moving a little too slowly for her taste.

"Come on" She yelled to urge the rest of the people to walk faster.

There were times in Yumi's life where she just wished she could just throw cation to the wind and openly tell people the truth about XANA for that would make evacuations like this one a whole lot easier.

This was one of those times.

If things didn't change anytime soon, Sissy and her followers would soon be vaporized by a single laser shot from the heavens. This was not something Yumi would allow to happen so easily.

"You will not leave the school grounds!" The principle ordered from the school's gate.

Of course fate always had some way of interfering and complicating the circumstances even more.

Yumi was the first to speak. "Sir you gotta listen to me. We need to get away from the school as soon as we can!"

"Yumi, ever since I saw you involved in this act of defiance you have been nothing but trouble. You are now suspended for an entire month taking effect immediately! You and your little dog are to leave the school right this instant!"

"Sir you don't understand, we have to get to town. It's a matter of life or death!"

Yumi's pleadings with the principle caught Sissy's attention. If she continued to behave in this manner, their whole movement could be broken down. She was running a tightly organized counter operation that wished to return the cell phones to the students of Kadic Junior High. Not a traveling Broadway production.

"Don't you think you're being just a little over dramatic with this whole thing?"

"SIS!"

There was only one person on the face on this Earth that would care Yumi sis.

"Aniki?" The girl asked wondering why Jin was in the forest rather than fighting alongside his friends while on Lyoko.

"Get to the factory now! It's you that the satellite is after!"

Yumi scooped Kiwi into her arms and fled into the thicket of trees leaving the others behind to fend for themselves.

* * *

Jeremie was now at ease when he saw that Jin managed to meet up with his younger sister and was currently making his way to the factory, but now he had to worry about the two coming back in one piece. 

"Ready to fire" came a robotic voice from the computer's speakers.

"NO!"

* * *

Jin and Yumi heard a loud roar come from the sky as it brightened giving off a false sense of divinity when in reality it was carrying out the wishes of the devil himself. The two siblings leapt in opposite directions and could only pray that the reacted quickly enough to save themselves. 

A thin blue light crashed into the forest's surface, shaking the very Earth from underneath them.

The principle blinked his eyes a few times and almost slapped himself in the face to see if he was dreaming or not. Once it was confirmed that he was still indeed within the realm of reality, he decided to take evasive action.

"Students, get away from the building as far as you can! We need to leave now!"

* * *

"So Jeremie, where did you say the tower was again?" Ulrich asked wanting to confirm the statement that his colleague provided him just minutes before. 

"I said it's in a massive clearing at the end of the pathway."

"Well I'd really hate to correct you but it's not here."

"It can't be!"

"He's right Einstein" Odd confirmed. "I don't see a tower here. Unless XANA has found some way to miniaturize these things, all I'm staring at is an empty area."

The two living real world counterparts were indeed not lying. A gigantic black and white tower that had a glowing red aura would indeed be an easy sight to see so for one not to notice such a spire within the nearby vicinity must mean that no such pillar existed.

"The holopmap doesn't lie" Jeremie rationalized. "It just has to be there, I know it should."

Odd heard a buzzing noise behind him that grew louder with every passing second causing him to turn around.

"Well there's something I do see. Hornets!"

Ulrich was the faster of the two to respond. He swiftly dashed towards the gathering of enemies and sliced his sword through the air creating an opening in the crowd large enough for him, Odd and Aelita to safely pass through. Odd soon stopped his run and came to a skidding halt so that he could face the oncoming attackers.

"Odd, what are you doing?!" Asked a shocked Ulrich.

"XANA's monsters forgot to RSVP for our little get together and right now our guest list is full. I'm going to see if I can "persuade" a few of them to leave."

Ulrich was not entirely sure of what his best friend was planning but he respected his judgment well enough to trust his decision.

"Knock them dead Odd"

"Would you expect any less from me?"

The waspsters had enough with the mindless chit-chat that their targets were exhibiting and just wanted to fulfil their objective without any incident. They too enrolled themselves in the discussion but chose to communicate with their laser cannons instead of the spoken word.

"Ulrich, get Aelita to safety pronto! Leave the waspsters to me."

Ulrich and Aelita ran to seek haven from the endless supply of laser that they were being harassed by. Their escape was cut short when they reached the island's cliff side.

"Looks like we don't really have a choice here huh?" Ulrich comment on the recent turn of events.

Aelita closed her eyes and gazed at the floor. "Don't worry Ulrich, I trust you."

"Then let's get going!"

Odd witnessed the two leap over the ledge and resumed his gaze at the hovering insects.

"Laser Arrow!"

Odd's single projectile managed to pierce a hornet right in its weak point destroying it right on contact.

"Hmm, one monster down, and on my first shot. Sometimes I even amaze myself."

Odd slowly backed away to the edge of the platform and smiled.

"Odd!" Jeremie screamed into his microphone. "One more step backwards and your taking a huge tumble downstairs"

"Don't worry Jeremie. This is all part of my plan."

"Plan?"

"Just wait till Jin gets a load of this" Odd thought to himself before jumping backwards and fell over the edge headfirst. The hornets followed in pursuit which is what he secretly them to do. As they flew downward to try to catch up with his high-speed decent, Odd extended both of his fist in front of him and pointed his wrist straight ahead.

"Arrow Barrage!"

Odd parodied Jin's attack and released his own burst of darts into the unsuspecting swarm adding yet another kill to Odd's death tally for the day.

Ulrich and Aelita waited patiently at the bottom of the cliff and watched in amazement Odd's feat of agility and skill. The virtual girl could not help but stare in awe at his elegant backwards dive but this feeling of wonderment would be short-lived. As Odd continued to fall, Aelita saw that he was just inches away from the floor and if he didn't correct his fall anytime soon, he would smash his head against the surface of the polar region.

"Odd!" Aelita warned. "Watch out for your landing!"

"Don't worry princess, I have this whole thing figured out."

Just seconds before impact, Odd raised both of his arms above his head and planted them firmly on the ground before re-launching himself in the air to perform a graceful backflip that would be able to put any gold medal gymnast to shame.

"Ta-da!" Odd said in celebration all while dusting off his purple Lyoko outfit.

"Please don't make any jokes about cats always being able to land on their feet, because that would be so cliche." Ulrich said sarcastically.

"Fine I won't."

"Never a dull moment with you."

"Guys" Jeremie barged in. "If you haven't forgotten, there are still two hornets left and they coming right at you!"

Ulrich held onto his sword tightly and sliced it through the air to warm himself up. "Looks like it's my turn to turn the unwanted guest away."

"Haven fun" Odd said playfully before leading Aelita down a nearby decline in the glacier's floor.

"TRIPLICATE"

* * *

"Yumi are you Ok?" Jin yelled through the thick cloud of smoke kicked up by the satellite's beam. 

"As ok as one would be after narrowly dodging a laser fired from a satellite in space." Yumi dead panned.

"And how's Kiwi?"

Kiwi opted to allow himself to answer Jin's question rather that having Yumi do so.

BARK! BARK!

"That's good to hear. Now let's head to the factory. I believe we have a little score to settle with XANA."

* * *

SCANNING TARGET 

-Target Analysis-

Wields a tradition Japanese katana and specializes in close range combat. Target has just created two exact replicas of self. Probability of destroying intended objective.

CALCULATING...

CALCULATION COMPLETE

PROBABILITY: 33 PERCENT

CLOSE CALCULATION

TARGET ACQUIRED

RUN SYSTEMS CHECK

LASER CANNONS: ONLINE  
FLIGHT STABILIZERS: ONLINE  
COOLING SYSTEMS: ONLINE  
POWER BATTERY: 80 PERCENT  
ARMOR INTEGRITY: 50 PERCENT

SCANNING DAMAGES

-Result-

Moderately damaged by unit specializing in traditional human ballistics and long rang combat. Internal systems functional. Able to function at full efficiency.

CLOSE SYSTEMS CHECK

RESUME ATTACK MODE

COMMENCE FIRE

-Results-

Attack successful. Enemy injured.

WARNING! WARNING!

-Threat Assessment-

Enemy's remaining clone still functional and is attacking.

ACQUIRING NEW TARGET

LOCK ON: APPROXIMATELY 4.5 SECONDS

TARGET LOCKED

WARNING! WARNING!

-Threat Assessment-

Target is gaining ground. Moment of impact, 1.5 seconds. Chances of surviving.

CALCULATING...

CALCULATION COMPLETE

PROBABILITY: 0 PERCENT

"IMPACT!"

RUN SYSTEMS CHECK

-Result-

Armor integrity at critical low level. Sustained internal damages. Unable to operate all inner mechanics.

EXECUTE SELF REPAIRS

REPAIRS FAILED

TOTAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN

* * *

Yumi, Jin and Kiwi ran towards the school's boiler room since it was the closest entrance to the factory at that time. Jin ran ahead in full sprint and looked towards the sky as he had a little message he wanted to deliver to his "special friend". 

"Hey XANA, I'm talking to you! First you knock my sister into the virtual void, make an evil clone of her, almost killed her with a movie alien and NOW you're tying to blow her up with a laser beam! What the hell is this?! Pick on Yumi Week! I swear, if I ever get my hands on you, I'll personally destroy every single square-inch of your electronic body with a baseball bat!" Jin's voiced picked up causing him to speak even louder and with more rage as he envisioned each and every single attack XANA had placed in front of his beloved sister. "YOU HEAR ME?! A FREKIN BASEBALL BAT! And remember XANA, I don't make threats, only promises!"

Yumi did not share her brother's rage towards the rouge computer for she had other thoughts in her mind other than revenge. Thoughts that included the safety of her brother and the other students of Kadic Junior High. There was only one way she could think of that could save everyone and that solution rocked her to the deepest core of her very being.

* * *

Ulrich picked himself off the floor and saw that already one of his clones was destroyed in the firefight while the other one was charging headlong into battle. It managed to drive its sword deep into the black XANA eye before being struck in his side by the laser from the last hornet of the original five. Seeing no alternative left, the waspster went for a suicide attack and flew straight towards its enemy but Ulrich prepared himself for such a maneuver. He waited for the last possible moment and trust his sword into the monster's point of vulnerability all while sliding backwards to escape any unnecessary damages. Just as he had planed, the insect was destroyed within the blink of an eye but there was one thing Ulrich did not count on. He expected to continue to slide onto a nice solid patch of land but forgot to factor in the overall distance he had to work with. 

He only had the air to comfort him as he plummeted from the glacier's ridge.

Odd was having a less exciting time on Lyoko as Ulrich was experiencing at the given moment. Instead of dodging laser beams and renegade hornets, he was playing a gigantic game of hide-and-seek with XANA's tower. An activity that left more to be desired within the realms of thrill seeking.

"Jeremie, are you sure we're even in the right region? For all this time I've been on Lyoko I haven't even once caught a glimpse of the tower."

"Like I said before Odd, the holomap does not lie. You're in the right place. You just have to look harder."

Odd's ear twitched as he heard a loud thud behind him. Assuming the worst, he spun on his heel and looked at the source of the noise. lying motionless on the floor was a familiar looking figure clad in black and yellow.

"ULRICH!"

"Aelita, what's going on?!" Jeremie yelled wanting to get a better mental picture of the events that had just unfold in Lyoko.

"Ulrich fell from the platform above us and is out cold!"

"Odd will make sure if he's ok. You gotta find that tower soon Aelita. Yumi and Jin can't be dodging lasers all day."

Aelita slowly raised her head and surveyed her surroundings just as Jeremie wanted her to do. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The only thing out of place were her, Odd and Ulrich occupying the region. As she watched Odd slowly lift Ulrich to his feet to get him into a more comfortable position, she heard a low rustling in the air.

"Jeremie, are the waspters still after us?" Alieta asked assuming the worst case scenario.

"Fortunately not. Jin, Odd and Ulrich had managed to destroy all five of them so it's now just you three. Why did you ask?"

"Because I'm hearing something right now."

"Hmmm"

Jeremie temporarily withdrew himself from the conversation he was having and raised the three-dimensional map of Lyoko on his computer screen.

"According to the homomap there's a waterfall nearby. That must be where the noise is coming from."

"Waterfall?"

Aelita looked around the area more carefully this time and indeed spotted the body of moving water. To the untrained eye, one would easily dismiss the sight as nothing more than just another landmark but Aelita's keen vision picked up one piece of key evidence that allowed her to cut through XANA's shroud of invisibility.

"Jeremie!" She yelled in delight. "The waterfall, it's glowing red!"

"That's the same color that the tower radiate when it's activated!" Jeremie replied equally as estatic.

"The tower must be behind that waterfall!"

Aelita looked behind her and saw Odd rest Ulrich's body against the glacier's surface.

"Is Ulrich ok?"

"He'll be alright. I think he's coming around."

"That's good because Jeremie and I think we have located the tower."

"Well don't let us stop you. Do your stuff princess!"

Aelita answered back with a simple smile and ran at full speed towards the possessed spire.

* * *

It was business as usual for the virtual girl. The tower offered no resistance in allowing her passage to its vulnerable interior thus giving her full freedom to wreak any form of chaos that she desired. 

Or in Aelita's case to undo it.

AELITA

* * *

Yumi crouched low in the bushes and tried her best to concealed herself from XANA's vision as best she could. She instantly thought back to the time when her and her brother faced off against the evil clone that XANA made of herself and that it was just them two against their mortal enemy. Once again Jin intentionally got himself devirtulized while on Lyoko to come back to the real world to warn her of the danger she would soon face. Both of these cases she never asked for his help, preferring to handle the ordeal on her own but Jin would always insist on coming, putting his life on the line for her sake and this troubled to her to no end. For some reason XANA had been trying extra hard to try to get her out of his way. She did not want the burden of Jin's death to be on her shoulders due to her own carelessness. 

"Kiwi, stay with Jin and don't follow me." Yumi whispered into the dog's ear while she knelt in the grass. The dog complied and quietly strolled to Jin's position where he was pressed up against a tree.

Jin said his goodbyes once when he made a similar decision back when he intentionally let go of her hand to save her. Now it was Yumi's turn to recite her own farewells.

Jin took a quick peek at the school before sneaking his head back behind the tree he was hiding behind.

"Ok sis, we're right across the boiler room. If we run now we can..."

Yumi did not let Jin finish his statement and ran right in front of him.

"SIS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Yumi looked behind her and saw that Jin was following her. She closed her eyes tight and willed her legs to move faster all while trying to put as much distance between herself and Jin as she could.

"Aniki, it's too late for me. Save yourself!"

"You're not going to do this sis!"

Yumi knew that she could never persuade Jin to just leave her be. She had to find a way to slow him down so that he would not get hurt when the satellite prepares for its next shot. Yumi abruptly halted her run and waited for Jin to get close before balling her hand into a fist.

"Sorry Aniki" Yumi apologized as she threw her elbow back. She could feel Jin's jaw just shake in shock from the tremendous impact it received from the powerful strike. Her brother was knocked off his feet and placed his right hand over the area to drive out the pain he was feeling. Jin only stayed on the floor for about a second before he quickly picked himself up and resumed his frantic chase for his sister extending his left arm out as far as he could to try to close the shortening gap in between them.

"YUMI STOP!"

Trying to stop Jin was a harder task then Yumi originally anticipated but it was something she had to do to keep him safe from XANA. She swiftly turned in place and grabbed Jin's outstretched arm only to flip him over her shoulder and viciously slam him against the floor without a shred of mercy.

Jin could feel all of the breath he had stored in his body escape his lips in one violent exhale. He stared at the clear blue sky and saw his sister walk slowly up to him.

"If you're not going to listen to reason then maybe you'll respond to brute force!" Although Yumi tried her best to sound cold and collected, she couldn't force back the tears that were forming in her eyes.

"We won't be able to defeat XANA if both of us get us killed. I'm sorry Aniki but that's my choice and you are not going to change my mind."

A single tear cascaded down her cheek and fell to the Earth before she regretfully turned her back towards him.

"Goodbye Jin."

* * *

CODE

* * *

"Ok XANA you want me so here I am" Yumi thought to herself. 

XANA choose to respond by firing yet another deadly blue beam from his instrument of death floating safely in space. Yumi could hear the projectile rip through the very fabric of existence, barreling towards her at unprecedented speeds never before experienced by man. A slight nudged was felt in her foot signaling that her black boot struck against a rock hidden amongst the blades of grass in the field that she was running across. Her body tipped over and tumbled across the floor in a releasing a flurry of rolls, and flailing limbs kicking up a small cloud of dirt in the process.

Jin rolled on his belly and pushed against the ground with all the strength he could summon from his tired body but only managed to support his upper body by resting on his right forearm only to see Yumi is a similar position just a few feet ahead of him. Jin watched the ray of light boomed through the sky threatening to destroy the very heavens reverberating back feelings of pain and anguish.

"NOT AGAIN!"

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

Wanting to end the attack as fast as he could, Jeremie struck the return key and proceeded to undo all of the damage that XANA had caused in a single day. 

"Return to the past now!"

His body was swallowed by a gigantic sphere of white light which later took hold of the factory and the city shortly after.

* * *

Yumi's pupils dilated due to the sheer amount of fear that was raging inside of her. Even when her mind realized that beam was now suspended in the air meaning that Aelita had managed to deactivate the tower that XANA had taken hold of, she could not calm her racing heart. To further add on to the awkwardness of the situation, her ears were able to pick up her brother's words. 

"Not again?" The rational portion of Yumi's mind pondered, trying to figure out the personal significance of her brother's quote. She was too busy in thought and too ravaged by fear to see the fast approaching white light coming straight forward.

* * *

Ulrich grabbed a flyer from the giant stack of papers that Odd was holding for him and tapped the notice on the school's cafeteria entrance. Sissy was the first to read the friendly bulletin. 

"A reminder of school policy to all students." She read off the yellow sheet of paper. "All mobile phones must be turned off before entering the classroom or else they will be confiscated."

Sissy could only see the amused grins that her rival counterparts were now wearing managing to frustrate her to no end.

"Arrg, you guys are such teacher's pets! I would love to see them try to take away mobile phone!"

Yumi only allowed herself to chuckle at the girl's expense for a few moments before speaking once more. "By the way Sissy, thanks."

Sissy had absolutely no idea of the greater impact she caused that day and as a result, did not have the appropriate reply for Yumi's words of gratitude.

"Thanks? Since when do I get a thank you from the darling Yumi?"

"You're more helpful to us than you give yourself credit for. I'm just letting you that I'm grateful of what you've done so far."

Now if hearing a simple thank you from Yumi was surprising enough, hearing those words almost knocked Sissy right off her feet but she couldn't let arch rival know how startled she really was.

"Humph, looks like you guys live up to your name as the "Weirdo Bunch" once again" and with that said Sissy opened the doors to the cafeteria with Herb and Nicholas right behind her.

"Oh well, it's that thought that counts right guys?" Odd said cheerfully finding a treasure trove of humor in Sissy's confused reaction.

Yumi once again resumed her humorous mood but notice Jin quietly walking away from the rest of the group with his head hung low.

Yumi broke away from her laughter and waved to the rest of her friends.

"Well that was fun guys but I gotta take care of something. See you later"

"See you later Yumi" Ulrich replied.

* * *

Jin leaned against the far wall of the cafeteria building and tried his best to shake the mental images that dared resurface in his subconscious. Thoughts of his sister being killed haunted the young boy and showed no signs of letting go. 

"Hey Aniki" Yumi said softly.

"Hey sis." Jin answered with downcast eyes.

"About what happened in the field I'm..."

"Don't worry, I understand. You don't need to apologize. You were just looking out for me."

Yumi was relieved to see that her brother held no ill feelings about the beating he received for, ironically, for his protection.

"Jin, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot"

"When I was about to get hit by the laser you screamed out "not again". Did you mean not again as in me being in trouble once more or did you mean..."

"I said not again and it means just that, not again."

Yumi placed her hand on Jin's shoulder and slowly walked away from him to leave the boy alone with his thoughts.

END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking**

Well of course I'm going to plug my site and deviantART account here so that's real obvious. Plus there are two things I would really like, more voice acting auditions and some more Dirk and Clayton fan art (if they even have fans). Or, if you just have to draw Jin because he's such a cool character (that was sarcasm, not an ego trip) then try his Lyoko outfit. Info on the first part will be posted later.

* * *

**Author Response:**

Ok time to be answering those burning questions and responding to some reviews here we go!

**Starwave:** Man my hats goes up to you first of all. Within the span of two weeks you unleashed a barrage of reviews for each and every single one of my chapters. I'd like to thank you for that and to let you know that I do indeed notice these sort of things.

**Briar Noir:** You raise a good point by saying that Jin is overshadowing the other characters so I'm not going to be using this time to start chewing you out and saying how you know nothing about fanfiction writing, I would be a big fat jerk if I did that. I know for one your referencing his thoughts in "Image Problem" and all of the other moments where he gets some major screen time. I usually use those scenes as a means to beef up the other character's development. For example, when Jin cut his hand up by punching through the bulldozer's window in "Cruel Dilemma" that was used as an instrument to show more of Yumi's character Also, in the same episode when Odd kicked Jin in the face, that moment was used to show how Odd wanted to better himself as a real world fighter so he could protect his friends both in and out of Lyoko. But don't worry, the other characters will have their moments I promise. It's just that the episodes that really flesh out their characters happen much later in the series.

**Fallen Angle: **Apology accepted. I can't stay mad at people for a long time (but then again I was never mad at you in the first place). Just try to leave the review board open for reviews unless I'm getting really lazy then you can yell at me.

* * *

**Voice Acting Auditions Info:**

After becoming a member of the Voice Acting Alliance, I found out how to really do one of these things so I'm going to be starting a whole new process. First of all, there will be specific lines for the characters to eliminate all confusion and to provide equal playing grounds for all participants. Here are the rules for submitting lines.

1. Lines must be recorded as separate files. (I.E. line one is not in the same file as line two) and zipped up.  
2. Lines should be labeled yourname-charactername-Line#  
3. Zip files should be labeled as yourname-charactername-retellingseries  
4. When I say name I don't mean your real name, just the name you use for or whatever alias you go by.  
5. Send your lines to my e-mail address specified in my website6. Please save your lines in MP3 format to save me space.

If you can't zip up your files and have to send them into me separately or if you have any questions just let me know on my site and don't post your comment here unless it's a review and I'll be more that happy to let you slide.

Ok the radio plays can not start until I have roles for all of the necessary characters. Once that is completed then we can begin. Necessary characters will usually be in almost every radio play while minor ones will be in only a few depending on the scene. So far only Aelita and Sissy have been cast the rest is fair game for all of you. I'm still waiting for auditions from D.D.Z., xana-nightmare, mornstar and Green Rose. Please send me your lines real soon, I can't wait to hear them!

**Cast List**

Necessary Characters:

Odd  
Ulrich  
Aelita - Naki  
Sissy - Trillinka  
Jeremie  
Dirk  
Clayton  
Jin  
Yumi

Minor Characters:

Herb  
Nicholas  
Jim  
The Principle  
Milly  
Tamiya  
Mrs. Hertz

One-Shot Characters (Will add to list as story progresses):

James Finson

* * *

**Audition Lines**

Here are the lines for the characters that you will use for your auditions. If you guys notice my name is not next to Dirk and Jin which means gasp their open for tryouts. If you feel like you can play a good Dirk and Jin then by all means go for it. Only necessary characters have audition lines. If you want to be a minor character then just let me know and submit an audition file of yourself and I'll see if you can fit the role. However if I these auditions do not live up to my expectations, I will cast myself for Jin and Dirk once more. Now when you guys try out, I am not looking for people who can impersonate the existing character voices but more of people who can encompass the already existing traits that the original voice has. For example, Odd's voice actor does not have to sound like Odd from the TV show but his voice should sound like he's always goofing off and ready to crack a joke at any moment.

**Ulrich**

Voice Persona: Somewhat distant but at the same time caring and sincere

Line #1: "Thanks for the advice, or is that a threat?" (Logbook)  
Line #2: "I'm not ignoring you. I'm just allergic to people who are stuck up and conceded. And in that category you win hands down." (Big Bug)  
Line #3: "You're absolutely right Jeremie, he is. Pretty soon I'll be rolling up my jacket sleeve and start wearing my headphones twenty-four-seven just like how he does." (Holiday in the Fog)

**Odd**

Voice Persona: Good-humored and light-hearted

Line #1: "Aniki? What the heck does that mean? Sounds like...sounds like...whatever it sounds like it's not too familiar with me." (Teddygodzilla)  
Line #2: "It's official, Hell has just frozen over." (Logbook)  
Line #3: "Suuuuuure celebration, so that's what they call it these days." (Deja Vu's Recruit)

**Jeremie**

Voice Persona: Intelligent but also good-natured and friendly

Line #1: "I think the very laws of nature have been compromised to allow this anomaly to occur." (Logbook)  
Line #2: "What do you mean too early? Everything is ready, the scanners are running and the program is working. Yumi, we only get one shot at this so let's get it over with. Why do we need to wait? Everything here is fine." (Cruel Dilemma)  
Line #3:" Return to the past now!" (All episodes)

**Jin**

Voice Persona: Very sarcastic and somewhat panicky at times.

Line #1: "Jin Ishiyama, at your service" (Various episodes)  
Line #2: "Ulrich, you only mentioned going through the boiler room...YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT TOXIC CLOUDS OF SMOKE!" (Holiday in the Fog)  
Line #3: "Man a samurai would be so cool to have right now. No wait, a ninja. Wait, even better, a samurai ninja." (End of Take)

**Yumi**

Voice Persona: Mature yet caring

Line #1: "Oh come on Jin, I'm your sister. You can tell me anything." (Deja Vu's Recruit)  
Line #2: "That's my Aniki, the Master of Disaster." (End of Take)  
Line #3: "You know, candy can fix anything. Even a broken heart." (Cruel Dilemma)

**Dirk**

Voice Persona: Calm and collected and is always in control.

Line #1: "Let me make one thing clear here Ulrich. Dirk Kap Hwan is an accomplice to no one! I call my own shots! I am doing this out of my free will."(Logbook)  
Line #2: "Such a shame that you think of those two so highly. You hero worship will yield you nothing but pain and misfortune." (Logbook)  
Line #3: "I'm here to get that window open so you and the rest of the students can get off of this death machine. I'm no hero but then again I don't want this bus to be the result of my early demise." (Logbook)

**Clayton**

Voice Persona: Typical tough guy, The kind of person you don't want to meet in an alleyway after dark.

Line #1: "That's it?! I heard your were a tough guy Ulrich. Prove it! I'm waiting." (Deja Vu's Recruit)  
Line #2: "You just can't beat me with your reputation. COME ON PUNK, LAY ONE ON ME!" (Deja Vu's Recruit)  
Line #3: "So Ulrich, got any last words?" (Deja Vu's Recruit)

* * *

**Outtakes**

Before I begin with the humerous outtakes, there was a scene that I originally had in mind but changed it at the last minute since it didn't really fit well with the story.

START SCENE

"Laser Arr.."

BANG!

Odd's attack was halted as he felt a deadly projectile whizz by just centimeters from the side of his head. However, this attack was not produced by the waspsters...

It came from behind him.

"Next time Odd I won't miss."

"JIN?! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Odd screamed deeply upset that his own friend would do something like that.

"Let me take on those hornets."

"No way Jin. You are far too weak to fight them. I know you're worried about your sister but if you stay behind, you won't do us any good."

BANG!

Odd felt another bullet graze by his head causing him to slightly flinch.

"I'm not kidding Odd, I will use my gun on you."

Ulrich had enough with Jin's double crossing ways and quick drew out his sword. Jin responded kindly by swiftly removing his pistol from his other holster and aimed the silver weapon at his other ally's head.

"Ulrich don't make me do this!"

"You think that little handgun can beat me?" Ulrich said angerily.

"You're right Ulrich, my weaponry can't defeat you. But then again who said I was going to fight you in the first place."

Jin slowly moved his gun that was originally aimed at Ulrich and placed the barrel of the gun to his temple.

"Look you guys got two choices. One you let me fight the hornets so I can rescue my sister or two, I just pull the trigger right here and now and leave you two without fighting at all."

END SCENE

I got rid of this scene for a multitude of reason. Sure it's emotional and tense but it doesn't accomplish anything and causes to many problems for me to consider. For one, I don't think Odd and Ulrich would be two happy to work with someone who attempted to kill them on Lyoko so their relationship with Jin would greatly be strained. Plus, the character development in this scene is repetitive. It just shows Jin risking his neck for Yumi and how he is willing to go to any lengths to accomplish that task. Yawn We've only seen that like a bazillion time already so it's just redundant.

* * *

"Looks like our phones are useless" Odd commented all while tapping the tiny screen of his cell phone with his index finger trying to bring it back to life. 

"So how are we going to communicate with each other now?" Ulrich asked.

"Don't worry guys I thought ahead and have already developed an alternative means of communication for us" Jeremie interjected.

"Good work Einstein, now what is it?"

Jeremie reached into his backpack and removed two tin cans with a really, really, REALLY long piece of string tied to the ends of both of them.

"With this."

"God help us all" Odd and Ulrich said in unison.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?!" Came an elderly voice from the other side of the room which Sisssy recognized as her father's. "A teacher that was passing by told me of your "little meeting" and I came to investigate. Now you better have a good reason for what you're doing here." 

"Oh yeah" Sissy said confidently after regaining her composer in front of her supporters. "What is the meaning of this?!" Sissy marched in front of her father and number one adversary and presented to him her petition filled with the signatures of countless students."We signed a petition so you have to give our cell phones back!"

The principle quickly read over the piece of paper and raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"You want me to wear a tutu to school and stuff my socks with mash potatos?"

"What? It doesn't say that!"

Sissy grabbed her precious petition from her father's hands and read over the title.

"OH MY GOD IT DOES!"

Sissy crumpled the now useless note and tossed it into the trash can.

"Note to self never and I repeat NEVER allow Nicholas to write your legal documents again."

* * *

**The Satellite Attacks Take One**

Jin and Yumi heard a loud roar come from the sky as it brightened giving off a false sense of divinity when in reality it was carrying out the wishes of the devil himself. The two siblings leapt in opposite directions and could only pray that the reacted quickly enough to save themselves.

When the dust cleared Jin and Yumi were unscratched and begain to inspect their surroundings.

"Wow for such a powerful weapon, it sure didn't cause a lot of damage to the scenery" Yumi said.

"Yeah I know. Freaky huh?"

Jin suddenly noticed a white flag with a note attached to it and picked it up.

"Don't hurt us, we surrender. I wonder what that means?"

Off in space XANA mentally kicked himself for taking over a French satellite instead of a Japanese or American one.

* * *

**Take Two**

"NOT AGAIN!"

The satellite's attack zoomed over Yumi's head and touch downed in an unknown location missing the girl by miles.

"Wow XANA is a really lousy shot. You think he was aiming for something else?"

In a far off used car lot, two individuals were having an intese argument regarding about prospects of a future purchase.

"I say your car is crap!" The first man yelled.

"And I say it isn't!" The other responded with just as much hostility.

"Well if my car isn't worth as much as my asking price then may I get struck down by a gigantic laser from outer space."

A loud rumbling could be heard in the air which caused the first man to run away to safety.

"Now what could that be?"

BOOM!

See kids, even XANA has a sense of humor. It may be a warpped, demented, screwed up sense of humor but it's a sense of humor none-the-less.

* * *

More fan made outtakes for you. This one was submitted by Blood Vampire for "End of Take". 

"Brandon, what happened to you?" Finson asked

"A teenager did this to me. He was wearing all black"

"Dang it!" said Finson as he began to dial his cell phone. "It was the Men in Black again and their new recruits" Dial Tone, man answers "I thought I told you guys it was a FAKE alien!"

"Sorry man, dang newbies, we'll try to get the alien back to you, please wait a few minutes.." Men in Black theme plays on phone.

Finson's anger rises as he says "God this is the fifth time this week!"

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter:**

Once again I used a non-favorite episode of the Code Lyoko community to beef up the character development of quite a few people. I really tried to make it so that Sissy was really trying to fight for the students of Kadic Junior High out of the goodness of her heart rather than just trying to get her phone back. Also speaking of Sissy, I also gave Herb and Nicholas scenes where they contribute to Sissy's movement by maintaining order with the students and even picking a fight with Dirk and Clayton. I know I'm bending Herb's characterization just a little bit by giving him a bit more spine than he originally had but he seems like the type of person who would do something crazy like that if he was pushed around enough. Plus, I showed in "Image Problem" that he was willing to "mix it up" with the others if he felt like he should.

The hornet's computer scene was something I wanted to try out just for kicks. In the original episode you saw that particular exchange through the hornet's point of view so I decided to take it one step further and that's the result. I got the idea from Phamtom 1's fic "The Next Level".

Now onto the Psycho Crusher. First off, it is not another power Jin has. It's more of a special technique that he developed on his own. First off, one of the reasons why I gave him that particular move was to further separate his fighting style with Odd's If you notice, aside from their different weapon properties they fight the generally the same except that Jin is slightly less acrobatic then Odd but then again who isn't? The Psycho Crusher is just a way for Jin to lay down the fire while dodging the enemy's attacks so he could close the gap in between himself and his targets. Also I did not bite off of the Enter the Matrix video game I specifically chose a special source for inspiration for the attack and you can guess the name of it by the name of the attack. Don't worry folks, Jin will reveal his inspiration in later chapters so don't try to lose too much sleep thinking over it.

Regarding the scene when Yumi runs out so she could save her brother. I truly believe that in the original episode, she ran in front of Odd so that he wouldn't get blasted if they didn't make it to the factory in time so I wanted to just amplify the drama presented to us by tenfold by having her do what she did to Jin to protect him.

Finally there's Vafer. OooooOOOooOO, whenever you guys get more answers, I just keep piling on the mysteries in the story. You'll be hearing a lot more from him (or her) in later chapters so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Well that's all for today thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review behind.


	12. Intermission Part 2

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own Code Lyoko nor am I making a single cent with this piece of fanfiction. Also I do not have any ownership from all the various video game companies and anime studios that are referenced in this chapter.

**Special Thanks: **

Aiya, too many to count. If you guys came this far in reading my fic then you all deserve a hearty pat on the back and a big fat THANK YOU!

* * *

Intermission (Original Side Chapter): A Code Lyoko Halloween

Jin greedily gobbled up his simple breakfast of buttered toast and fruit before drinking the rest of the milk that remained in his glass. He smiled gleefully before setting down his cup and leaning back in his chair to relax for a few moments.

"You're up early" came his mother's voice from the kitchen's doorway which slightly startled the boy and almost made him fall back from his original position.

"AHH!" Jin screamed while trying to reclaim his balance. Once he was confident that he could rest the chair on two legs he turned his head toward his mother.

"Morning" he said cheerfully.

"Morning to you too Jin." Mrs. Ishiyama responded, matching her son's level of radiance. "Are you excited about today?"

"But of course. Hey mom, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure"

"If a number two pencil is the best pencil to use then why is it only number two?"

All the teachings of Confucius, Sun Tzu, Buddha and Taoism could not prepare Mrs. Ishiyama for Jin's completely random question.

"He's defiantly from his father's side" she thought to herself before she changed the subject. "You two have your costumes ready for today?"

"Yep, sis and I promised not tell each other what we're going as so it would be a surprise."

"That's good, speaking of your sister, is Yumi awake? School starts in half and hour and you two have yet to get dressed."

Yumi quietly emerged from the opposite doorway still wearing her pajamas and took a seat right next to Jin.

"Morning mom. Morning Aniki" she greeted the other occupants sleepily.

"Well I have to get to work soon so I'll be leaving soon. Have fun today ok?"

"Thanks mother" the twins answered in unison as they watched her leave.

Jin turned his head and faced his sister.

"You look sleepy today."

"Yes I am" Yumi said frankly. "Unlike you, us NORMAL people do not have the unique blend of caffeine, adrenaline and pure sugar running through our bloodstream. We take a tad wee longer to be fully in control of our bodies."

Jin completely ignored his sister's cheep shot to his character and continued to speak.

"Ready for Halloween?"

"Of course, I had my costume ready since last month."

"I got mine done a few weeks ago and it's a dozy."

"Not as much as mine Aniki. It will knock your socks off."

"Can't wait to see it."

"So Jin, got anything special planned for this year?"

"Yeah, me and the guys have been planning this really cool prank on Jim this year."

"Now that sounds fun." Yumi said excitedly as she began to show her first signs of life that morning. "Mind telling me what your plan is?"

"Well Ulrich said not to tell any...ah, what the heck. Might as well let you know." Jin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small 3x5 index card and held it in front of him. "Well we're going to give this card to Jim that Jeremie made and we'll watch the chaos commence. It will be pan-de-monium," Jin rubbed his hands in invisible soap as he began to envision the beautiful prank they had in store for their ever suspicious gym teacher.

"Let me guess, your gonna address that card to him and say that it's from a beautiful woman who would love to talk to him and you put a phoney number on the card so when Jim dials the number he's actually calling the principal."

"To tell you the truth I really don't know. Jeremie said that knowing Jim's level of intelligence that this thing will work on him. I never read the card before. I'm just holding it for safe keeping."

"Safe keeping?" a worrisome Yumi answered. "Since when do you keep things safe?"

"I'm a responsible guy"

"Sure you are Aniki. Just like the time you almost destroyed Odd's guitar back when we were the Pop Rock Progressives."

"Hey it was an honest mistake. Anybody would have done it."

"Jin, you tried to use it as a pogo stick!" Yumi asserted.

"Like I said, it's an honest mistake."

Yumi quickly changed the subject to preserve the reaming IQ points she had before they would all self-destruct after hearing Jin's random babbling.

"Why don't you read that card now to see what it actually says."

"Sure" Jin raised the card so that it was at eye level and began to read it out loud.

"How to keep an idiot busy, turn card over."

Jin complied with the card's demands and flipped it to its reverse side.

"How to keep an idiot busy, turn card over."

Again Jin listened to what the writing said and turned the card over once more.

"How to keep an idiot busy, turn card over."

Jin's frustrations rose to new heights as he was denied the useful tidbit of information that the card promised.

"Arrrrg! How do you keep an idiot busy? Tell me you damn piece of paper!"

Yumi quickly snatched the card from her brother's grasp and looked him in the eye.

"You give them a repetitive task to do over and over again."

"Tsk, that will never work. Now give me that card back."

Yumi knew how "dangerous" the small piece of paper was in Jin's hands and quickly tore it to shreds to prevent any more damages.

"Hey! Now what are we going to use as a Halloween prank?"

"Shouldn't we get ready for school?" Yumi countered with a question of her own.

"You got a point there."

The two siblings said nothing more and both raced upstairs so that they wouldn't be late for the day's classes.

* * *

Jeremie finished changing into his blue demin jacket and jeans before turning on his computer for one last chat with Aelita before he joined his friends outside.

"Morning Aelita" Jeremie greeted his virtual companion.

"Hello Jeremie." Aelita responded kindly. She then noticed her friend's sudden changed in wardrobe and decided to comment on it. "Why are you dressed so differently today?"

"Well Aelita, today is Halloween."

"Halloween?" The perplexed program asked not to sure what to make of the explanation.

"It comes every 31st of October. It's a holiday where people masquerade as other individuals or monsters. I would like to tell you more but I have to go outside soon and meet Odd and Ulrich."

"Monsters? You mean people actually dress up like the roaches, crabs, blocks and hornets on Lyoko?"

"Not those kind of monsters. These beings populate fictional horror stories here in the real world like Dracula, Frankenstein and the Werewolf."

"Wow Jeremie just hearing their names sounds frightening enough."

"Don't worry Aelita. Unlike the monsters in Lyoko, these creatures can't hurt you and only exist for our enjoyment."

Aelita took a brief moment to inspect Jeremie's blue outfit and was indeed curious of his costume.

"So who are you dressed up as?"

"He's from an old TV show I used to watch when I was a kid called Power Rangers and his name was Billy. He wasn't much of a fighter but he was a genius with computers and was the intellectual in the group."

Jeremie took a couple of steps away from the computer and flashed Aelita an excited smile.

"Watch this. I've been practicing it all day yesterday."

Jeremie extended both of his arms from opposite sides of his body and moved them in a circular motion before posing in a very cheesy kung-fu stance.

"IT'S MORPHIN TIME!"

Aelita couldn't help but sweatdrop at the sheer sight of Jeremie's goofy antics.

"And to think he's the smart one" the girl said to herself.

* * *

Ulrich leaned against the gate that he would usually meet Yumi and Jin at and stared blankly into space. Like the rest of his friends, Ulrich was extremely anxious to see all the outfits the others would be wearing for today since they all promised each other not to spoil the "surprise" and give out too much information too early. However, he and Odd had decided to go with a specific theme with their costumes this year and he couldn't wait to see the reaction on his friends' faces. Ulrich casually looked toward the pathway that lead the students into Kadic Junior High and saw an unfamiliar figure standing with his back turned next to him. The person wore a pair of white pants and a white blazer with a high collar that concealed his neck.

"Must be a new student." Ulrich casually thought to himself as he approached the strange individual.

"Need any help?" Ulrich asked the orange-haired boy who swiftly turned around to answer his question.

"Not really Ulrich" the boy remarked while staring at his inquisitor through the glasses placed on his head. Ulrich watched the well-dressed student dust his hands off on the black shirt he wore underneath his white red-lined jacket before recognizing whom the voice really belonged to.

"JIN?!"

"The one and only"

"Who the heck you're supposed to be?!"

"Kyosuke. He's a character from a game called Rival Schools. I used to play that all the time when I lived in America and he was by best player. Now who are you supposed to be?"

Jin lowered his glasses so he could get a better picture of Ulrich's costume and was instantly floored by his choice of clothing. Jin was in disbelief when he saw a pair of gray, red and white track pants, a blood-red long sleeve shirt, a black jacket with one sleeve rolled up and, to top it all off, a set of black street-style headphones.

"NO WAY! YOU'RE..."

"Jin, Ishiyama. At your service." Ulrich then performed Jin's signature gentlemen's bow and looked him square in the eye.

"I must be dreaming." Jin said softly to himself.

Ulrich couldn't help but chuckle at Jin's reaction seeing that it was indeed the desired response that he was aiming for.

"Glad you like it Jin. Yeah, Odd and I said that we should go as people we know this year for Halloween instead of just fictional characters."

"Oh God." Jin said worryingly. "If you're me then I shudder to think who Odd decided to impersonate."

"So what do you think of my outfit?" Ulrich asked wanting to get Jin's honest opinion.

"Well it sucks to be you."

"What?! But I have your look down to the exact detail. How can you say that it sucks?"

"No you misheard me. I said it sucks to be_ you_. You're gonna have such an interesting experience being me for a day."

"This is just a costume. What can possibly happen to me?"

Suddenly a football from a nearby game of catch soared through the air and smashed into Ulrich's jaw managing to knock him down.

"Yep" Jin said matter-of-factly. "You just got my reputation and bad luck for a day. Have fun."

No sooner did Jin complete that statement did the hulking individual who threw the menacing ball appear.

"You might want to apologize to my friend there who you managed to clobber with your aim." Jin pressured the student.

The large student took one good look at Ulrich and shook his head from side to side.

"Naw"

"Naw?"

"Yeah, that's Jin Ishiyama the weirdo. In fact I think I actually did him a favor by knocking him around like that. Maybe I pounded some sanity into that empty head of his."

Despite the fact that the student was not directly addressing him, the real Jin could not help but feel offended by his comments but tried his best to conceal his anger.

"Are you sure that guy is really Jin? Maybe he's some student dressing up as him for Halloween. Ever think about that?"

"As if. Who would want to dress up as that moron? I know the real Jin when I see him. Even if he dyed his hair orange and wore glasses."

Now Jin was really pissed. Looks like he was going to teach this misinformed soul a very painful lesson in humility.

"SHADOW CUT KICK!"

Jin imitated the character he was currently dressed as and threw all of his weight into one powerful moonsault kick striking the offending student's jaw with his right foot.

Too bad he forgot the little lesson he learned at the dance battle he had with Odd when James Finson decided to pay their school a visit. That lesson being that he could not do a complete backflip.

THUD!

The large student seriously considered walking away from the entire thing after seeing that his opponent kicked his own ass in that exchanged.

This consideration only lasted for a total of .345 seconds.

"Time to add some more damage"

However, before the student could take his free shots, Jin slowly rose to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at his attacker.

"HA! Don't think that this fight is over!"

"I think it is. I'm bigger and stronger than you. Plus you're doing most of my work for me by falling on your face like that."

"But you forgot about Anime Cliche' number 1368!"

"Anime Cliche' number 1368?" The bully repeated.

"Yep, all I have to do is think of my dead girlfriend, my parents being killed and my homeland totally destroyed and I will be fueled with enough rage to kick your ass!"

"Too bad none of that stuff really happened to you."

"Crap, you're right! Damn I'm screwed."

(Insert random sounds of violence here)

Jeremie calmly walked toward the gate to meet his friends but was only greeted with Ulrich and Jin's unconscious bodies.

"I don't even wanna know what happened."

Now thanks to the beauty of cartoons and seeing how that indeed this is a piece of comedic work, Jin and Ulrich should be completely healed in two seconds which should be right about...

Now.

The two boys slowly rose to their feet and waved to Jeremie as if nothing unusual happened.

"Nice costume Jeremie." Ulrich commented.

"Wow, you actually know what show it's from?"

"Of course it's..."

Ulrich and the others took a few moments to see if anyone else was eavesdropping on their conversation. Once satisfied with the knowledge that they were alone they all looked at each other with wide smiles.

"POWER RANGERS ROCKS!" All Ulrich and Jeremie said in unison.

Jeremie was the fist to kick off the discussion. "Man the coolest thing was the..."

"Megazord" Ulrich completed Jeremie statement before continuing on with the conversation. "I know, that was the coolest robot off all time. Let's not forget the..."

"Green Ranger, he ruled all" Jeremie finished.

"Green Ranger?!" Ulrich said slightly peeved. "The Red Ranger was clearly the best."

"No, the Green Ranger. He had that cool shield and got to use the Dragonzord."

"You may be the smart guy Jeremie but you know nothing about Power Rangers. The Red Ranger's Power Sword was the best weapon in the series."

"You're just saying that because you use a sword in Lyoko. Look the Green Ranger was the best and that's final."

"No, the Red one"

"The Green one"

"Red!"

"Green!"

"RED!"

"GREEN!"

"I was more of a Ninja Turtles fan myself. Leonardo can kick both of their butts any day" Jin interjected momentarily stopping the quarreling between his friends.

"NINJA TURTLES?!" Ulrich and Jeremie exclaimed, appalled by Jin's taste in television.

"Was it something I said?"

Ulrich and Jeremie exchanged devious grins before pounding their fists into the palms of their hands.

"Why me?" Jin said in despair while the two Power Ranger fans closed in on the traitor.

(Insert random sounds of violence here...again)

Ulrich quickly dusted his hands off and placed both of them in his pockets before turning to face Jeremie.

"So where did we leave off?"

"I believe we were engaged in an intelligent and gripping verbal duel highlighting the characteristics of our two favorite Power Rangers."

"Oh yeah....RED!"

"GREEN!"

"RED!"

"GREEN!"

"Would you two just shut up!"

Ulrich and Jeremie stopped their bickering once more and saw Sissi standing right beside them wearing a red dress with a matching bow in her hair.

"Geez Sissi" Ulrich said seriously. "Could you have been just a little more original with your costume? Wearing just a simple red dress and bow doesn't really qualify as Halloween attire."

"Humph" the girl snorted. "Just to let you two know, I'm Blossom from the Powerpuff Girls. I think their outfits are really cute."

Jeremie was quick to notice the grammatical error in Sissi's sentence.

"Uh Sissi, you said Powerpuff Girls." Jeremie emphasized the s at the end of girl to clarify his statement. "But you are the only one here. Where are your other counterparts?"

Ulrich too had a question of his own. "Most importantly who would _want _to dress up as the other two Powerpuff Girls? I mean, only Herb and Nicholas hang around you and there is no chance in Hell that those two would agree to be humiliated in such a way."

Once again, the rules of comedic fanfiction writing held themselves to be true as Jin quickly stood up unscathed from Ulrich and Jeremie's attack.

"Now this sounds interesting. Just who would be crazy enough to dress in matching costumes with Sissi?" Jin spoke out loud letting the others know that he was in perfect health.

"Oh you'd be surprised" Sissi said with a smug on her face. "Boys"

Herb and Nicholas both emerged from the safety of a nearby tree that they took shelter behind to prevent themselves from being seen and were both wearing similar skits to the one Sissi had on except Herb's was green while Nicholas's was blue.

"I think I'm going to be sick" Jeremie said as his complection began to change to a greenish color.

"I just HAD to ask" Ulrich cried out to the heavens.

"I was better of being unconscious." Jin cried out rearing his fist back as if to throw yet another knock out blow.

* * *

"So why did we agree to this again?" Herb whispered to Nicholas behind Sissi's back.

"Because Sissi said that she would no longer hang out with us and we both know, we'll never be able to stand this close to a girl again."

"Thanks for reminding me." Herb replied sarcasticlly.

"Oh, one more thing Herb"

"What?"

"I don't know about you but I feel pretty in this thing."

"Please shoot me now" Herb begged to the heavens.

* * *

Sissi was unaware of the conversation between her "sisters" and was too focused on bragging about her own beauty.

"Ah the three of you are just jealous of how stunning I look right now. You guys just can't face the fact that my costume makes me look only prettier and I bet you that there isn't another girl on this campus who can match my gorgeous good looks" Sissi boasted.

A large group of male students would have disagreed with Sissi's challenge as they began to clamor around a single girl in the gateway.

"Man just look at her!" One student said excitedly.

"I know. She's just SO hot!" Another one replied.

The subject of their attention was completely fed up with the crowd's pestering and decided to remedy the situation.

"HIYA!" The girl screamed throwing her legs around her to deliver a powerful 360 degree kick that sent her onlookers flying through the air Ranma ½ style.

Ulrich squinted his eyes to get a better view of this mysterious woman. She wore a pair of white boots over her skin tight brown pants. A silk blue Chinese shirt decorated her torso while her hair was tied up in two buns on the top of her head. He couldn't help but stare at the girl's beauty and was instantly mesmerized by her looks.

Jin was more disgusted than impressed.

"Dude that's just sick! You're supposed to be me for a day and I already see you gaping at my sister. That sort of stuff should only happens on the Jerrry Springer Show."

"Yu-Yumi!" Sissi stammered after noticing the elaborate costume her arch nemesis was wearing.

"I'm glad you like it Ulrich" the Japanese girl said with a smile.

Being the video game fan he was, Jin already knew the character that his sister was dressed up as. "Nice getup Chun-Li"

"ANIKI?!" Yumi said, surprised to see her brother in such unusual clothing. "I can't believe you dressed up as Kyosuke."

"Yep, looks like we both chose to go as video game characters this year."

"I'm just shocked that you dyed your hair orange."

"Crazy isn't it?"

"You do know the dye you used is permanent, right?"

"Ah man, looks like I'll have to dye it black by the end of the day."

Yumi then set her sights on Ulrich and couldn't help but laugh hysterically at his costume.

"OH MY GOD!" Yumi screamed at the top of her lungs. "You actually went as Jin this year. That is SOOO funny. I just hope you don't get hurt like he always does."

"Ulrich rubbed his chin where the football made impact and shook his head.

"If you only knew."

Jeremie's outfit was next to be inspected by the eyes of the younger Ishiyama.

"Never figured you to be a Power Rangers fan Jeremie....Jeremie are you even listening to me?"

After hearing his name, Jeremie was able to recollect himself after seeing Yumi's choice of clothes for Halloween and join the realm of the living.

"You know what guys?"

"What?" They responded promptly.

"Well I'm dressed as a Power Ranger, Yumi and Jin are both video game characters while Ulrich, for some reason of God, has decided to be Jin for the day."

"Thank you very much Captain Obvious. Mind telling the group something that we don't know for a change." Jin said sarcastically.

"Well if the four of us had managed to come up with some pretty outrageous ideas. I can only shudder to see what Odd has in store for us."

"Hey Ulrich" Jin spoke drawing everyone's attention to him. "Did you say that both you and Odd agreed to go as people you knew this year."

"Correct"

"So that's why you're dressed liked Aniki" Yumi concluded. "Now I'm really worried about seeing him today. I don't think my body can handle the shock."

"Big deal!" Sissi yelled out reminding the four members of the "Weirdo Bunch" that she was still within earshot of their conversation. "Who can Odd be that would scare you so much."

Normally when asked a question Ulrich would look at the person straight in the eye before giving his answer. However, since looking at Sissy also involved him looking at the cross- dressing Herb and Nicholas, he kept his back turned for his own sake.

"Obviously Sissi, you don't know Odd that well. He can do some pretty strange things given enough motivation."

A high pitch whistle could be heard close by which instantly caught the group of fives undecided attention.

"Now you guys better not be doing anything suspicious over there!" A gruff voice boomed across the field.

"Now who could that be?" Jeremie asked before facing the direction where the whistle came from. "OH GOD NO!"

Standing right in front of them was Odd. Wearing a white headband and a band-aid on his cheek. He quickly patted the belly of his red windbreaker jacket which he stuffed with a pillow to augment its size. Jeremie's gaze shifted to Odd's knee-length pants and white socks before he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"YOU CHOSE TO BE JIM THIS YEAR!"

"Yeah I'm Jim" Odd said in his best impression of his P.E. teacher.

"This is unreal" Ulrich said wide-eyed.

"You know what's unreal, your soccer performance. My grandmother and kick a ball better than you can Ulrich!"

"You mean Jin"

"Ulrich, Jin, you two are the same to me."

"HEY I RESENT THAT!" The two boys in question exclaimed.

RING!

The school bell rang and ended Odd's ego trip and ushered the rest of the students to their classes.

* * *

Jeremie was the first to arrive in Mrs. Hertz's class and watched Odd and Ulrich take their seats behind him.

"Hey did you guys hear?" Jeremie whispered across the table.

"What?" Ulrich asked.

"I overheard Sissy talking and she said that we're having a substitute teacher today since Mrs. Hertz had to help set up the assembly we're going to have today."

"Cool, an entire period of goofing off. This may be the best Halloween ever."

"I won't allow any of that stuff to happen under my watch!" Odd said loudly, still using his Jim voice. "If I catch you two breaking the rules, I'll make sure that the principal gives you a week's wroth of detention."

"Odd, would you give it a break?" Ulrich pleaded.

"Sorry man" Odd responded in his normal tone of voice. "It's this headband and band-aid. I swear by, I feel like I'm actually the man himself."

"Now that's just scary." Before Ulrich could say any more, he felt a small tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, I know you" said a random student. "You're that jerk off Jin!"

"No, I'm Ulrich. I've been sitting in this seat for this entire time and besides, Jin doesn't even have this class." Ulrich said trying to defend himself.

"Don't try to get fresh with me Jin! You don't think I forgot about the time you tripped and managed to spill milk all over my shirt in the cafeteria a week ago because I don't!"

Just when the confrontation couldn't get any uglier, a moderately size chunk of ceiling broke away from the top of the classroom and came crashing down onto Ulrich's skull.

Odd and Jeremie quickly rushed over to their friend's side to see if he was ok. They quickly removed the ceiling slab and saw that Ulrich was unharmed.

"And to think Jin puts up with this stuff every day and manages to stay alive is astounding." Ulrich commented to himself.

"I can't believe that chunk of the roof didn't hurt you." Odd said in amazement.

"It's like what my mother said, I always had a thick head structure wise. I'm pretty much know what's going around me on a daily basis."

"Suuuurrre" Odd placed his fist over his mouth and released a VERY phony cough. "Yumilikesyou"

"Huh, what about Yumi and Jews?"

"Never mind. Geez when is that sub going to get here?"

CRACK!

The door to the classroom was suddenly kicked opened. Revealing a blonde man in his early twenties wearing a white suit and with a cigaret in his mouth.

"Afternoon class I am your substitute teacher for the day. Great Teacher Onizuka. GTO."

The class was dumfounded with their teacher's entrance and just sat there with their jaws hanging out of their mouths.

"Am I even in the right place? I heard that this was the troublesome class that's been giving the staff at this school a heard time."

Onizuka scanned the room for any signs of life and soon came across Herb and Nicholas and their blue and green skirts.

"OH GOD I MUST BE IN THE RIGHT CLASS! LOOK AT THOSE HIDEOUS CREATURES! THIS IS WORSE THAN I IMAGINED!"

The teacher quickly put out his cigaret and began to take role.

"Sissi"

"Here"

"Jeremie"

"Present"

"Odd"

"Here"

"Ulrich"

"Here"

"Dirk"

No response.

"You guys know where Dirk Kap Hwan is?"

Still no response.

"Ok next is Clayton Mil. Is Clayton here?"

Once again silence.

"Oh no, here we go again." Jeremie said while slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"What do you mean?" Ulrich asked.

"Well. Every time somebody says where is "so and so" they always show up with some sort of grand entrance and totally take us by surprise. I say we wait a few seconds to prepare ourselves for whatever the Troublesome Duo has up their sleeves."

Mr. Onizuka placed a small check mark by Dirk and Clayton's names and set his attendance log down.

"So class on to today's lesson plan..."

The substitute teacher was cut off by the sound of the door being opened revealing Dirk standing in the doorway. He wore a red turtleneck underneath a black coat and adjusted his rose tinted glasses before walking into the class. Clayton was also wearing a different set of clothes that day as he came to class wearing a brown military uniform.

Dirk sat down and folded the fingers of his gloved hands over his lips concealing them from view as the light from the classroom reflected off the lenses of his glasses giving the boy an intimidating look.

"You two must be Dirk and Clayton" Onizuka concluded.

"Please, spare me your worthless conclusions" Dirk said in disgust. His now icy cold voice and calm demeanor sent chills down the spines of his fellow classmates. "Just because you believe you have a general understanding of the current world does not mean you need to act so condescending on your students."

"Enough with The Art of War already!" Odd screamed out speaking as himself rather than his P.E. teacher.

"The information contained within the contents of that military manual are sufficient for the uneducated masses but prove to be far from substantial to someone of my intellectual caliber. I prefer something a little more "detailed" for my endeavors."

"And that would be?'

"The Dead Sea Scrolls. With the aid of these items I shall accelerate the evolutionary process of the human race and cause the Third Impact!'

Clayton banged his head against his desk after realizing the monster he helped create.

"That's the last time I let Dirk watch any more videos from my anime collection. That guy has lost his mind" he thought to himself before continuing to do his perfect impersonation of his character, which consisted of sitting around and do nothing.

Onizuka stared at his two latest entries wide-eyed as he realized where they drew inspiration for their costumes from.

"On no, Gendo and Fuyutsuki from Evangelion! Forget about me being in the right class. Am I even in the right anime!?'

Herb raised his hand.

"The pimply-faced kid in the God-awful green dress. What is it?"

"Technically Code Lyoko isn't an anime." Herb corrected his teacher. "The term anime applies to animation from Japan and our series comes from France which means that this is indeed not anime."

Herb folded his arms across his chest impressed with the volumes of information he was able to distribute to the class within the time span of a few seconds. However, Mr. Onizuka wasn't going to let his comments slip by unchallenged.

"Does anybody here care what this guy is saying?"

"NO!" The class responded in one powerful negative statement.

"Right answer class. You all get an A for the day...except for the idiot who said that this show isn't a real anime."

Herb was saved from even further embarrassment as the voice of the school's principal came on the P.A.

"Attention all students" his bold voice projected from the confines of the tiny speaker. "Our annual Halloween Assembly will commence shortly. Please report to the auditorium now. Thank you."

Dirk was still unamused with the antics of his new substitute teacher and wanted to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Tell me something, are you really who you say you are or are you just faking the whole thing. Am I right Mr. Leemer?"

"Onizuka" then placed his right palm on top of his head and removed the blonde wig that he was wearing and revealed to the class his true identity.

"Dirk's right, I'm not really Mr. Onizuka, that was just a really bad crossover attempted by a sub par fanfic writer."

"Fanfic writer?" Dirk said perplexed.

"Never mind, it's not worth mentioning here but be carful, he might use subliminal messages to advertise his story here. Stay on your toes. G-force 4 is a very sneaky individual."

* * *

**Hey kids! Don't forget to tell your friends about Code Lyoko: A Retelling!**

* * *

Ulrich, Odd and Jeremie met up with Yumi and Jin at the double doors that lead up the auditorium. Apparently they were the first ones at the door thanks to the Ulrich's constant running.

"HA!" Ulrich yelled in triumph as stood in front of the door with his arms folded across his chest.

"Why (huff) are you (huff) so (huff) happy? (huff)" Jeremie asked in between breaths wondering why his friend was so eager to be the first one at the assembly.

"Ever since this morning bad stuff been happening to me all because I dressed like Jin."

"Soooo..."

"Soooo, we're going to be the first one's inside and chose a nice safe seat so that nothing can hurt me during the assembly."

"That's good Ulrich but you shouldn't stand so close to the door like that."

"Why not?"

The doors opened violently and smashed into Ulrich blowing him away a couple of feet from his original position. The rest of the students looked at the man in the doorway and saw Murphy the school's janitor standing right before them.

"Alright kids, you can go in now."

Yumi looked at Ulrich's unconscious form before turning to the rest of the group.

"Maybe we should stay away from Ulrich for the rest of the day."

"Agreed" the replied in unison.

* * *

Milly brushed away the two pigtails she tied her hair into and adjusted the orange top and miniskirt she wore before flashing a smile at her best friend Tamiya.

"So tell me again who exactly are you?" The camerawoman asked.

"Ulala from Space Channel 5."

"Why?"

"Because she's a reporter and I thought the outfit suits me. Now what about you Tamiya?"

Tamiya glanced at her yellow jumpsuit with the number six embroidered above her left breast pocket and placed her hand on her hip.

"Well I'm a famous reporter too Milly. April O' Neil to be exact."

"Let's just get this report over with."

Tamiya nodded her head in agreement and raised her camera to so that it rested comfortably at eye level before hitting the record button.

"Good afternoon students of Kadic Junior High. Junior reporters Milly and Tamiya here ready to bring to you breaking news from the school's auditorium. The Halloween spirit has defiantly taken hold around the campus as several students are dressed for the occasion. "

Tamiya angled her camera so that the auditorium's stage was centered in the shot and was able to catch the principal walk on stage.

"OH MY GOD!" Jin exclaimed. "HE'S ACTUALLY WEARING A BLACK SUIT! Somebody please pinch me."

"Good morning students" the principle spoke in the microphone that was already set up. "Well me, Mrs. Hertz and Jim have decided to participate in the day's activities and are all wearing matching costumes."

Mrs. Hertz quickly stood by the Principal's side and was also wearing a midnight-black suit. The two of them stood on stage in complete silence.

"Jim sure is taking his sweet time" Mrs. Hertz's whispered into his ear. "I just hope he's wearing a suit like us."

"Yo, yo yo!" A voice boomed from offstage.

"Something tells me he's not" the principal said in despair.

Jim emerged from backstage and was dressed like a rapper complete with bandanna and baggy pants and had a microphone of his own.

"Jim, what is the meaning of this?!" The principal whispered loudly. "The three of us were supposed to be the Turks from Final Fantasy VII this year!"

"Yeah I know, but when I was walking home a student came up to me and asked me if I was trying to be like Nelly since I always wear a bandage on my face. Then I thought, yeah that would make a great Halloween costume. Now check out my mad flowing skillz."

"Skillz?"

"That's how all the big name rappers say it." Jim tightened the grip of his microphone and began to rap for the captive audience.

_Yo, here's the Jimbo  
Yall wanna limbo  
Hey Nelly, you think you're the leader  
Fool you're nothing but a Trick-or-Treater_

"Hehe, Topac has nothing on me"

The crowd begged to differ.

* * *

Jin quickly cupped his hands around his ears and fell on the floor in agony.

"My ears, they burn!"

"And I thought XANA had a deadly melody" Jeremie cried out hoping the music would fade away.

"That wasn't music, that was thirty seconds of burning in Hell and I'm wearing my earplugs!" Ulrich said in a similar painful tone of voice.

"Was it something I said?" The clueless Jim teacher pondered as he watched the entire auditorium squirm in suffering.

END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking:**

Nothing much to say here except...PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE AND SUBMIT YOUR AUDITIONS ASAP! That was fun.

* * *

**Author Response:**

**KotokoPlum:** Thanks for all of your corrections. I just finished correcting Teddygodzilla and Deja Vu's recruit. I'll be fixing the other chapters soon.

**laughingcow and Flying Star too lazy to sign in**: Welcome to Code Lyoko a Retelling. I'm glad to see that I have a pair of new readers who have fished the first twelve chapters of the series and are eagerly waiting for more. If you want the experience to continue don't forget about my website that can be found in my profile.

**Briar Noir:** I would be honored if you leant your drawing talents to the Retelling Series. I tried to contact you but you didn't post your e-mail on the site so I'm going to use this section to let you know that I would love to have you as a member of the "staff". I would like to see some of your previous drawings so I can get an overall feel for your style.

**Treaspasser:** My hat goes off to you. For you to read eleven chapters of a really long fic that "makes you sick" you got some serious endurance. You are the first bad review that I have ever got and I thank you for giving me the experience. Now feel free to disagree and hate the story all you want, that's not my concern however your "review" left some serious issues that need to be addressed.

For one, you stated yourself that I just simply "retold" the episodes. Well my friend if you look at the title it's Code Lyoko: A Retelling. Of course I'm going to do that. Next, if you even bothered to pay attention to my writing, you can see that these episodes are NOT carbon copies. For the following reasons.

1. New characters such as Jin, Dirk and Clayton who have made a DRAMATIC impact on the series as a whole. Offering new points of view, chances for fights outside of Lyoko and conflicts with the existing cast.

2. Original Episodes that further deepen the series as a whole

3. New characterization for Sissi, Jim, Herb, Nicholas, Odd and Jeremie. The first four individuals are now more human and are seen in a different light by the reader and are no longer "good for nothing bad guys." As for Odd and Jeremie, they have learned martial through the course of the fic and can now fight both in and out of Lyoko, except for Jeremie who has to man the scanners.

4. XANA's point of view being added. We never see what XANA thinks like and there aren't too many fics that do the same thing.

5. Some of the mysteries of the series are explained here. The infamous pain theory has its own explanation and the reader finds out why Yumi was in Lyoko by herself in Image Problem.

So with the expansions I made to the series, am I still just "retelling" them or have I done something more. What I am doing her is just as hard as writing an original story of my own. Sure I admit that most of the chapters are outlined for me but I am burdened with the task of both staying true to the original episodes while at the same time varying them up enough so that they are a new experience for the reader. Now I would "love" to stop writing my fic but if you recall the notes in my first chapter I said I will continue to write how _I_ see fit and respond to any flamers. So if you hate my story so much BACK OFF! There are plenty of readers here who love to read it and it is my obligation as an author to finish my story for their sakes. I made an oath that I will retell all of the chapters and I am sticking true to my promise.

* * *

**Outtakes:**

Well since the entire chapter is funny I decided to post some random outtakes here just for the heck of it.

The camera shifts to the outside of a dojo where it's double doors could be seen. Jin slowly walks outside onto the open field and begins to practice his strikes against a set of imaginary opponents. All while Jin is practicing, a strange booming voice comes out of no where and begins to narrate.

"It's not easy being a teenager named Jin Ishiyama. But it's even worse when your pulled away from your comfy life in America to some weird boarding school in France with a creepy gym teacher who follows your every move. After the school smart guy suggest an experiment involving a few scanners and a weird computer named XANA located in some abandoned factory god knows where. He doesn't know what the hell he is doing and soon you're involved in a little...ACCIDENT!"

A gigantic wave of water washes over the scene revealing Yumi but she is wearing Jin's signature outfit.

"What the hell did you that for?!" Yumi screamed at the camera.

"From now on a splash of cold water will turn Jin into a beautiful but somewhat distant Yumi. Warm water reverses the effect but only until next time. What's a half boy half girl to do? Find out in Lyoko ½. Yin and Yang never been so much fun."

"The things Aniki and I do for money"

* * *

Yumi, Odd, Ulrich and Jin were standing in a vacant area in Lyoko.

"Ok guys. I installed a new training program to better prepare you against XANA's monsters." Jeremie spoke to the party of four.

Ulrich drew out his sword and stared off in the distance. "Sounds great Jeremie. I'm ready for anything."

"Ok here goes."

Jeremie hit the enter key on his keyboard and an elderly man began to take shape in Lyoko.

"Hello students"

"What the?" The rest of the group said with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Now follow me"

The elderly man raised his right hand and moved it in a clockwise direction followed by his left hand in a counter-clockwise motion.

"Wax on, wax off"

Ulrich sweatdropped and put his sword away.

"Jeremie...THIS IS THE LAST TIME I LET YOU WATCH THE KARATE KID AGAIN!"

* * *

Odd stared down the two blocks in front of him and saw them charge their laser cannons.

"This can't be good"

Just when the blocks were about to fire, they froze in place.

"Huh?"

Bit by bit the charge completed itself in a jerky motion. Five minutes passes and the projectiles finally shot out of their weapons but were moving at a speed that would have made a snail seem like the next Jesse Owens.

"What's going on Einstein"

"Well I found out that Lyoko is run on a 56k modem. And I'm using Napster right now."

"Stupid dial up"

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter:**

Well I noticed how much you guys loved my outtakes so I decided to do a humorous chapter just for you guys. Before I started the Retelling Series, I wrote a bunch of funny Code Lyoko interviews on the forums so that was the first genre of writing I got a grasp on. My humor is a little out there and I love to use copyrighted material just for my amusement. I really tried to pick costumes that the characters would wear or that they just match their personalities. If you can't picture Jin's outfit in your head then either search for Kyosuke on Google or check my website out. I hoped you found this chapter very fun to read. Just to recap, here's the complete costume list for the chapter.

Yumi - Chun-Li (Street Fighter)  
Jin - Kyosuke (Rival Schools)  
Ulrich - Jin Ishiyama (Code Lyoko: A Retelling)  
Odd - Jim (Code Lyoko)  
Mrs. Hertz - Elena (Final Fantasy VII)  
The Principal - Reno (Final Fantasy VII)  
Jim - Nelly (Famous Rapper)  
Jeremie - Billy (Power Rangers)  
Mr. Leemer - Eikichi Onizuka (GTO)  
Dirk - Gendo Ikari (Evangelion)  
Clayton - Kozo Fuyutsuki (Evangeion)  
Sissi - Blossom (The Powerpuff Girls)  
Herb - Buttercup (The Powerpuff Girls)  
Nicholas - Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls)  
Tamiya - April O' Neil (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)  
Milly - Ulala (Space Channel 5)


	13. Episode 10: Marksman

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Code Lyoko and if I did it would still be playing on Miguzi for all of our sakes.

**Special Thanks: **

To all of my wonderful reviewers who continue to push me in the right direction and correct all of my flaws.

* * *

Original Episode 10: Marksman 

"Odd, watch out!" Ulrich warned his friend as he saw two deadly projectiles fly towards him.

Ulrich's warning came just in the nick of time Odd and stopped his advanced only to hop to dodge the objects that threatened to take his life. He didn't have enough time to express any words of gratitude because at that moment he saw a familiar winged enemy swoop down low in an effort to take his head off. Though the flying beast's flight speed was fast, Odd's cat-like reflexes proved to be faster. He ran at the creature in full sprint and kicked off a nearby block that was in his way for extra height before stomping both of his feet onto his attacker sending it crashing to the ground in a dizzy heap. Before it could recover, Odd pointed his fist at the being and fired his own offensive weapon and destroyed his enemy for good.

"Nice," Ulrich said, impressed with the finesse Odd demonstrated during combat. "But you gotta keep going. There's not much time left."

Odd acknowledged the truth in Ulrich's words. Although he had enough experience to waste all of the minions in this entire region, destroying these enemies would only prove to be a waste of time. He made a one-hundred and eighty degree and started to run to his final goal only to find a giant pit in his way. Odd didn't even hesitate and leapt high into the air. Just when it looked like he was going to complete the jump, another deadly projectile was fired from another adversary in front of him. Odd tried his best to twist his body to avoid the attack but it was too late. The charge struck him in the chest and ended his flight in the air causing his immediate descent into the void below.

'NO!" Odd screamed out as he desperately flailed his limbs in the air in a futile effort to save himself. He took one last look at the scenery before it faded to blackness only to be replaced by two words that he could ponder for the rest of his stay in the darkness.

**GAME OVER**

* * *

Odd stepped away from the arcade machine that he was formerly playing and turned to face Ulrich and Yumi who were standing behind him. 

Odd allowed himself to smile before shrugging his shoulders. "Guess I need to practice more playing Super Mario huh?"

Ulrich was thoroughly entertained with watching Odd demonstrate his video game expertise. "Hey, that was pretty cool when you jumped in the air and landed on that flying turtle only to finish it off with one of your fireballs."

"I just can't believe it," Yumi said in disbelief.

"I know I'm that good Yumi. You don't have to state the obvious. Sometimes I even put myself in awe." Odd said, allowing a little bit of his arrogance to seep into the conversation.

"I wasn't talking about you Odd." Yumi retorted. "I just can't believe we're here in the mall's arcade during school hours."

"Hey, when the principal gives us a day off, what do you expect us to do? Study?"

Odd was telling the truth. The principal announced the day before that he was hiring a few building inspectors to comb through the school to see if it was indeed safe for the children to inhabit and had to close it for the day. Safety was a major issue to him and it would forever rest on his conscience to see one of his students hurt because of his laziness. Unfortunately, these inspections occurred on a Thursday which meant that classes would resume tomorrow morning. Of course the student body of Kadic Junior High saw this as a blessing. Ulrich too enjoyed having the day off as he was using his recreation time to help Yumi keep Odd's overinflated ego in check.

"Odd, you never study." Ulrich said flatly, "You're always goofing off in class and whenever the teacher has something important to say you take that as an invitation to fall asleep."

"You know you want to take a nap in Mrs. Hertz's class too." Odd countered. "I swear, if I see the equation y mx b on the chalkboard again, I'm going to loose it."

Jin slid his headphones down to his neck and stepped forward to join the others.

"Never was too keen on physics. History was my forte."

"AH!" Ulrich yelped in surprise by Jin's sudden entrance, "You always catch me off guard when you just show up like that. Do you do this stuff on purpose?"

Jin only offered Ulrich a simple shoulder shrug before he placed his right hand into his jacket pocket.

"Well, time to get in some much needed Lyoko training but first I wanna show you guys something."

Jin lead his group of friends to an arcade machine in the far corner of the room and watched the two unknown players square off in the virtual area. The character on the side of the screen left was clad in a red police uniform while the fighter on the right wore a simple white karate gi.

"Now pay attention to the guy on the left." Jin whispered to the group.

Sure enough the on screen fighter executed the maneuver that Jin was hoping for. The character dove at his opponent and spun his body sideways in a clockwise motion all while emitting a blueish aura.

"PSYCHO CRUSHER!" The character' digital s voice bellowed through the game's speakers.

"Psycho Crusher?!" Odd and Ulrich said in complete shock. Instantly recognizing the move as the one Jin used one Lyoko during the last XANA attack.

Jin folded his arms across his chest and smiled. "Look familiar to you?"

Ulrich looked around him to see if there were any people nearby who could potentially eavesdrop on their conversation before answering Jin's question.

"You based your attack off of a video game move" the brown haired boy said with a twitched eyebrow.

"Hey, Street Fighter is a good game. Least I didn't pick Donkey Kong or something lame like that. What would I do in Lyoko? Throw barrels or something?" Jin then stood up straight and pointed his right index finger at the ceiling trying his best to look as professional as he could. "If you look at it, Lyoko is one giant game. You select a character, fight monsters and you even have life points..." Jin's aura of professionalism was instantly compromised as he began to ponder on all the conflicting facts that he failed to mention in his previous lecture. "But then again you can really die in Lyoko and there's the fact that we are fighting for the world's safety so it really isn't something to be taken lightly after all."

Ulrich wasn't too keen on the subject of video games and decided to just end the discussion.

"As long as you kill XANA's monsters and keep Aelita safe it's alright with me."

Jin sensed Ulrich's evasive tactics and couldn't help but comment. "You had no idea with what I'm saying huh? Albert Einstein of the arcade you're not."

Hearing the famed scientist's name made Yumi think of Jeremie instantaneously. She looked at her male friends' faces and saw that their normal group of companions was one member short.

"Speaking of Einstein..." Yumi used Odd's famed nickname for the young intellectual for the first time in her life. "Wasn't he supposed to meet us here."

Odd's eyes went wide with realization before he smacked himself in the forehead. "Oh yeah! Jeremie told me that he wanted to stay at the school today and that he won't be joining us today."

"Aelita's materialization again?"

Odd raised his index finger and waved it side to side before speaking again. "It's not just that Yumi. Einstein said he was working one something else today but I forgot what it was."

Jin fished out his trusty silver cell phone from his jacket pocket and held it in front of him for all to see.

"Let's see then."

Jin punched in Jeremie's cell phone number and heard a click on the other side of the line."

"Hello," Jeremie answered.

Jin skipped the formalities of introducing himself and cut straight to the chase. "We get a free day off from school and you spend it on your computer!"

"Well....yeah"

"Haven't you heard the phrase all work and no play makes Jake a dull boy? Can't you at least take a break from Aelita's materialization for once?"

"Actually I am. I'm making some changes to your Lyoko character."

"Eep!" Jin yelped in fear.

"Don't worry. It's something really minor that is more for my benefit."

Jin allowed himself to relax after hearing his friend's reassurance before he regained his composure.

"Oh well, have fun Jeremie."

"Incase you need to contact me, I'll be in the factory."

"Ok, happy programing."

Jin turned off his cell phone and proceeded to report his findings.

"Jeremie said he was staying behind to change one of our characters in Lyoko."

A wide grin began to spread on Odd's face as he wrongly assumed he was the recipient of Jeremie's altercations.

"Yeah baby!"

"Chill out Odd. Those changes were meant for me."

"Aww man. Why do you get the special treatment?"

Jin shrugged his shoulders for the second time that day.

"Jeremie said it was for his benefit so the change must not be that dramatic."

All this talk about Lyoko made Ulrich recall a specific line that Jin said before he went on that random tangent about Lyoko being one giant video game.

"You mentioned something about Lyoko training before. What exactly did you mean?"

"I come to this arcade from time to time to brush on my skills whenever XANA gives us a much needed break."

Jin walked over to a large arcade machine that had two black, plastic handguns holstered on the sides. Yumi, Odd and Ulrich watched with curious looks as Jin unplug his headphones from his CD player and placed the object of the floor. He then grabbed the left gun's handle and held it tight in his left hand before he placed his money in the machine.

"You see, because of the unique nature of my weapons, I had to find other means to practice since I can't just fire a real gun so I turned to video games as my solution."

Jin then picked up the remaining pistol on the right side of the cabinet and held it in front of him.

"Care to join?"

Odd stepped forward and grabbed the plastic replica weapon.

"Let's see how good this thing really is."

* * *

Ulrich and Yumi left the company of the Odd and Jin seeing how they were too engrossed in their game playing to regard their presence. The two walked side by side each a little uneasy with the other one's company. The silence of the whole situation proved to be more than uncomfortable for Ulrich as he sought to break the eerie stillness that beset the two of them. 

"So Yumi..." Ulrich struggled to find the perfect question that would serve as a catalyst for a conversation with the girl by his side. "Do you share the same interest in video games as your brother?"

The boy mentally kicked himself for asking such a ridiculous question. His cheeks turned a deeper shade of crimson out of embarrassment and something else. Something he couldn't put his finger on at that moment.

Yumi could sense what Ulrich's intension were and secretly thanked the boy for taking the initiative in striking up a conversation.

"Not really. I mean Aniki and I would play together sometimes but I'm no where near his level."

"The same can be said with me and Odd. Even though I play a few handheld games once in a while."

After a slight chuckle on Ulrich's behalf, the discussion once again returned to the deafly calm that is was originally born from and the two walked together in muteness once more.

* * *

The machine that Odd and Jin stood in front of was abuzz with the sound of digitized gunfire and other various sound effects of violence as the two players combated the digital characters that emerged on the screen. Thanks to many battles on Lyoko, Odd was now able to aim at the virtual enemies with razor-like precision as he defeated the foes before him with ease. He squeezed the plastic trigger five times with the aid of his right index finger and watched with satisfaction five more targets fall over and fade away from his sight. Odd couldn't help but exhibit a little arrogance over his most recent triumph. 

"Ha! Jealous Jin?"

Jin only responded by firing three rapid shots into the enemy in front of him, striking the foe in the chest twice and allowed the third bullet to penetrate his skull..

"You're quiet the marksman." Odd said sarcastically.

"You know Odd, there are five guys in front of you."

"Crud"

Odd watched helplessly as his character was ruthless gunned down and read the words "game over" for the second time that day.

Now it was Jin's turn to gloat.

"You're not such a hot-shot after all."

"That's because I was using this plastic thing. If I got to aim with my wrist at the screen then you wouldn't stand a chance."

"Whatever man. You know you can't beat me here. In the realm of video games you'll always be the odd man out."

Jin could help but laugh at the pun he just made but didn't allow himself to loose focus of what was happening in the game.

"Sorry about that. You know I was going to crack that joke sooner or later." Jin apologized. "You ok?"

Odd gritted his teeth after hearing Jin's latest attempt at humor. It wasn't that he didn't like being made fun of, that stuff he was used to. It was just that Jin had to be the five-hundredth and ninety-six person this year who decided to be clever and use his name in some God awful pun. He had to find someway to get back at him.

"Jin look! Somebody is stealing your CD player!" Odd said, trying his best to sound alarmed as if the actual crime was being committed.

Jin quickly spun on his heel and ran toward the exit of the arcade in a effort to try to catch the petty thief. As he took his first few steps, he forgot about the plastic gun he was holding which was connected to the cabinet via a giant heavy chain and a thick chord. Odd watched the chain tense up which caused Jin to be pulled back violently and fall on the floor back first.

Jin's body hit the carpeted surface and released a semi-loud thud. Odd slowly walked over to his victim and raised his middle and index finger so that they formed a V and smiled at the lying figure.

"Now I'm ok." Odd said with a huge grin on his face before exploding in a fit of laughter.

"With friends like you, who needs XANA?" Jin dead panned.

* * *

Once again, silence. Ulrich couldn't help but wonder why he was so quiet in that day. He never had problems with communicating with the Japanese girl before so what was so different. He pondered this newfound conundrum from a brief second until the answer hit him like a cannon blast from a Mega Tank. 

For once in a long time he was actually alone with Yumi.

Ulrich was surprised that he didn't realize this sooner. Ever since prom night when XANA possessed Milly's teddy bear he could not recall a single moment where he was alone with her. He did everything with his small group of friends. They always ate lunch together, walked to school together and of course save the world together. However, this day, this hour, this moment was different. He didn't have to worry about Odd's spikey head popping up ready to deliver another well timed wise crack. He didn't have to worry about Jeremie filling his head with computer jargon that was too complicated for him to comprehend. He didn't have to worry about Jin singing and dancing to the rhythm of a song in his CD player making a spectacle of himself. Heck, he didn't even have to worry about XANA's evil schemes to take over the world or harassment from Dirk, Clayton and Sissi. He was just here, here with Yumi. Ulrich noticed a nagging voice in the back of his mind that was egging him on. Telling him to seize this rare opportunity for all that is worth but at the same time there was another voice. This voice told him to be quiet and although he heeded the words of the second advisor and stayed stayed quiet, his cheeks spoke for him.

Yumi realized that Ulrich's face turn a deeper shade of red as he tried once again to start a conversation. Little did Ulrich know that she too was feeling the same sense of bashfulness except that she was doing a better job of concealing it. Yumi knew she had to do something to break the prevalent stillness that was plaguing them for so long. Their awkward stroll lead them to a long blue and black table with multiple, tiny holes on the surface. A digital scoreboard hung above it and displayed two zeros showing that the board was empty. It was here that Yumi got an idea.

"Hey Ulrich. Up for a game of air hockey?"

Ulrich's competitive nature easily triumphed over his shyness. Armed with this boost in confidence Ulrich gave Yumi a bold look and a small smile as well.

"Your on!" He said excitedly. Ulrich then proceeded to remove two coins from his pocket and slid them over to Yumi to cover for his half of the expenses for the match. The girl placed the silver objects into the table and saw a white puck and mallet fall into a compartment nearby. The machine's internal motor began to hum and buzz as it forced air through the holes in the surface forming an invisible blanket for the puck to glide on. Yumi grabbed her mallet's handled and placed it on the playing field which was cool to the touch and looked straight at Ulrich who was doing the same thing to prepare himself.

"Ready Ulrich?"

"As always."

Yumi dropped the plastic disk onto the field and struck the object with her mallet powered by a simple flick of the wrist. The puck bounced off the table's boundaries releasing a soft clank noise as it made contact with the outside perimeter. Her opponent did not hesitate in his defense and shot back the puck ricocheting it off the left side of the table and watched it head toward Yumi's goal. The girl was caught slightly off guard and could only watch the white object slip past her and into the slot she failed to guard properly. The air hockey machine's sensors detected Ulrich's quick victory and acknowledged by the digital number on the right side from zero to one.

"Lucky shot. That's all." Yumi said with a smile on her face.

Yumi reached underneath her and removed the puck from the slot it fell in and prepared to serve again.

"Try this!"

Yumi slid her mallet as far as it could go and zeroed in on her target. "KIYA!"

Yumi struck the puck with all the force she could conjure up in her right arm and sent the disk rocketing toward Ulrich's goal. The boy tried his best to block the shot but was too slow for the occasion.

"That's one point for me," Yumi said cheerfully.

It was now Ulrich's turn to retrieve the white piece of plastic so that they could resume playing. Ulrich couldn't help but smile today. Here he was, at the local arcade with his close friends just wasting the day away. It felt almost, dare he think of it, normal. Thoughts of XANA and Lyoko were almost forgotten for he didn't have to worry about saving the world and got to finally act like kid. Ulrich wondered if Yumi was thinking the same thing and decided to find out.

"You know what Yumi? This is nice."

"What is?"

"This"

"What do you mean?"

"Us being here. We don't have to worry about our grades, school and Lyoko. For once we can have fun and live lives like normal people."

Yumi rested both of her hands on the hockey table's smooth blue surface and sighed.

"You're right Ulrich. This is nice. I wish we had more moments like this."

Yumi turned her head just in time to see Jin make a mad dash toward the exit only to be pulled back violently by the gun he was holding and was thrown to the floor.

"Well there are some moments I can do without."

Yumi watched the pair and saw Jin rise to his feet so that he could shake Odd by the shoulders. Jin's victim on his behalf only continued to laugh himself silly.

"Those two" Yumi said in amazement.

"Well he is your brother" Ulrich said matter-of-factly.

"Well Odd's your best friend and you know what they say. Birds of a feather."

"If anyone else asks, let's just say we don't know them and we'll leave it at that. Agree?"

"Agreed. Now serve the puck and let's get this game started."

Ulrich smiled and prepared for his next move.

* * *

Odd was still being shook by the elder Ishiyama but was now feeling the ill effects of his predicament. 

"Stop it man. I'm getting dizzy," he said in-between shakes.

"Least you didn't bash your head against the floor like I did."

"Ah come on Jin. With all the times you've fallen on your face I thought you would be used to it by now."

"Aiya!" Jin said loudly as he threw his arms up in the air letting go of Odd in the process. "Remind me never to crack jokes about your name again."

Odd dusted off his favorite purple shirt and looked across the arcade only to see Yumi and Ulrich in a fierce game of air hockey.

"Now check this out."

"Ohhhhhh no Odd. You're not fooling me with your tricks again. I have my CD player right here so you can't say anyone is stealing it anymore because I got my eye on it!"

"I'm serious."

"Now that's a first."

"Man, that seems like a really intense game Yumi and Ulrich are playing."

"Huh?"

Jin looked in the general direction that Odd was facing and spotted his sister and Ulrich moving their arms forward and back trying their best to score a point. Judging by the intensity of their moves it looked like the two were in a sparing match rather than just playing a simple game.

"Now let's check this out. Shall we Jin?"

"Why do I have a feeling that your streak of mischief hasn't ended yet?"

* * *

CLANG! 

Ulrich allowed the puck to invade the sanctity of his goal once again.

"Six to six. Looks like it's game point Ulrich," Yumi said triumphantly.

"You're acting like you won already when the scores are tied."

"They won't be for long."

"Man you guys are really into this," came a voice in the distance.

Ulrich turned his head to the side and saw Odd and Jin walk over to the side of the table.

"Hey you two," Ulrich greeted his friends casually.

Jin turned his back to the table and placed the palms of his hands on the edge so he could lean back and quietly think to himself. Odd noticed Jin's relaxed state and a devious thought popped into his head. His gaze lowered to the boy's left arm and the rolled up jacket sleeve that revealed the red shirt underneath it. Odd's hands slowly made their way toward their intended target. His fingers curled up in anticipation.

"If you roll down my sleeve, I will kill you Odd," Jin said nonchalantly, not even bothering to turn his head in the boy's direction.

Odd quickly abandoned his plan and looked for other means to pass the time. Seeing nothing else interesting, he turned his attention to the air hockey game Yumi and Ulrich were playing.

* * *

Jeremie stretched his arms before he placed his finger tips on keyboard for the factory's computer. He was grateful that he had the day off today and for it allowed him to work on all the necessary objectives that someone in his unique position possessed. Not a single stroke was wasted as the intended keys were pressed in a systematic sequence that was prearrange in Jeremie's mind. Jeremie rhythm was promptly disrupted by another window opening in his computer screen. 

"Missing school to work in the factory again I see," Aelita greeted cheerfully.

Jeremie couldn't help but chuckle at his virtual companion's offbeat sense of humor and stopped typing to chat with the girl.

"Not this time Aelita. We actually got the day off today."

"So where are the others"

"They took their skateboards and headed over to the mall. I decided to stay behind so I can catch up on my work."

Aelita couldn't help but feel guilty after hearing that Jeremie stayed behind just to help her out.

"I'm sorry" Aelita said with downcast eyes.

Jeremie's eyes shot wide open as the words of Aelita's apology flowed through his ear drums.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do any harm for me."

"I know. But I just feel bad that you always choose to stay in front of your computer instead of going off with your friends and having fun like everyone else. It must be so hard on you at times."

"There's no need to apologize. It's not really hard work if you're always here to keep me company. Once we get you materialized it will be all worth it. The only way I can see this job getting accomplished sooner is if I had Odd spill another bag of candy on my keyboard once again."

Jeremie and Aelita both shared a moment of laughter together as they both remembered the antics of their purple-clad friend.

Jeremie's joked helped Aelita feel at ease with herself and allowed her to converse with Jeremie normally once more.

"So is it just the usual today?"

"Well I just need to finish the changes to Jin's character and I'm done."

"What sort of changes?"

"I'm modifying the program on Jin's sunglasses so that they bypass his optical nerve and work more as a traditional camera."

"I'm curious Jeremie. Why did you give Jin a pair of sunglasses when I can give you a first-person view of Lyoko myself?"

Jeremie stretched his arms and prepared himself to explain the finer points of Jin's role on the Lyoko team.

"The program in Jin's sunglasses is different from your own. For one, if I were to look through your eyes I would have to input a series of commands to bring the window up for me to see. Now with Jin there is a separate window that is constantly displaying the images that his glasses are receiving so I only have to take a quick glance at it to see what it is going on. The problem with having the visual feedback be directly connected to his optic nerve is that sometimes his vision is obscured. Jin has a bad habit of closing his eyes a lot whenever he's planning his next move or is about to do something risky thus blackening the picture. This altercation will allow me to see what's going on the whole time and since I'm not changing his character's stats this change will be done rather quickly."

"That's nice to hear."

"I'm kind of glad that I'm here today."

"What makes you say that?"

"It gives me the opportunity to talk to you without any other outside disruptions from Odd and Ulrich."

The ends of Aelita's lips began to curve upward slightly shaping her once still mouth into a small smile.

"Well I look forward to that."

Jeremie returned to finishing his work underneath the girl's gaze. Aelita listened calmly to the tiny the clicks that Jeremie's keyboard made with each and every stroke that was executed. The two stood in each other's company perfectly aware of the opposite's presence and relished the tranquility of the moment. Aelita then felt another presence that was not enjoyable. A wave of pure evil flowed through her body. Her eyes wore a look of dread for she knew she was going to be called into duty.

* * *

"So who's winning?" Odd asked 

"No one is. The score is tied and it's my serve," Yumi answered.

"Great," Odd said sarcastically.

Yumi smiled and quickly shot the puck at Ulrich's goal which was soon blocked and redirected at her. Odd watched the white disk travel across the table in-between Yumi and Ulrich's goals in complete boredom. Odd's mischievous instinct kicked in once again. His brain processed another practical joke that could help him kill time.

"You know what Ulrich?"

Ulrich tried his best to both listen to Odd's question and at the same time defend his goal from Yumi's relentless attacks.

"What?"

"I thought of something that could spice this game up. If you know what I mean."

"No I don't Odd. Mind telling us?" Ulrich quickly swatted the puck away from his side of the table and watched Yumi rear her hand back for another blow.

"Well maybe we should have some sort of penalty for the loser."

"Penalty? What are you talking about?"

"The loser of this game has to kiss the winner."

"WHAT?!" The other three teenagers said loudly in unison.

At that moment time seemed to have stood still as if the world stopped for another trip into the past. Yumi, Ulrich and Jin looked at Odd dumbfounded with his suggestion as the full impact of his words were now taking effect. Ulrich payed no attention to the now ignored white puck which crawled from Yumi's side of the table and into his goal.

A loud buzz echoed from the machine as Yumi's score increased thus signaling her victory over Ulrich. Both of the teenagers blushed furiously when they realized the true nature of their "punishment" and had to turn away from each other to avoid any further embarrassment. Once again Odd was beside himself with laughter and rolled on the floor trying his best to release all the humorous tension that was building up inside of him. Odd's cell phone chose that exact moment to demand his attention by letting loose a high pitch ring that commanded him to pick it up. However, given Odd's present state of being, he was unable to heed his phone's wishes.

"Jin...take...phone," Odd gasped in-between spurts of laughter. He slid his cell phone over to Jin's feet and resumed his rolling. Jin complied with the blond boy's request and picked up the plastic object and pressed it against his ear.

"Odd it's Jeremie"

"Odd is currently busy right now but I'll be glad to take a message."

"Well once he's done eating all the coffee and doughnuts he could stomach tell him and the other's that XANA has activated a tower!"

"Not cool," Jin whispered into the phone as not to tip off the other patrons in the arcade of their enemy's activities.

"I don't think I need to tell you guys that you need to head over to the factory right away."

Jin watched Odd pick himself off the floor after receiving his recommended dosage of laughter that day.

"I'll see what I can do"

Jin pressed the button the severed the connection between him and Jeremie before returning the phone to its rightful owner.

"Let me guess. Einstein just called us."

"Yep and once again he has some bad news."

Jin turn toward the direction of the door and made his way outside but not before tapping his sister on the shoulder to snap her back to reality and motioning her to follow him making sure that the both of them didn't forget to pick up their skateboards on their way out. Odd followed Jin's lead and did the same with Ulrich and tailed the two older teens until they no longer inside the mall.

"What's wrong Aniki?" Yumi asked her brother.

Jin took a brief moment to place his CD player and headphones with the cordless headphones he managed to bring along in his backpack.

"XANA"

"Does that computer ever give us a break?" Ulrich said in disbelief after having his day off ruined at the peak of its enjoyment.

Odd was slightly less disappointed.

"Let's show him who's boss!"

"Umm...I think there's a bigger threat to your well being other than XANA," Jin said nervously.

"And who could that be?"

Jin tilted his head to the side and pointed his thumb backwards at Yumi and Ulrich.

"Them"

Odd looked over at the two people he had just recently wronged and saw that they were now wearing angry looks on their faces instead of blushes.

Now it was Odd's turn to be on the defensive.

"Hey you guys know I was joking about that whole kissing thing right?" Odd stammered. "Oh come on Jin, you can't just stand here and watch these two beat me up right."

Jin nodded in agreement.

"Hey you guys stop."

Odd took this moment to let loose a huge sigh of relief..

"On second thought scratch that. I'm not going to let you get away with that stuff you pulled on me about somebody stealing my CD player. So Yumi, Ulrich, please continue with what you're doing."

"What!"

A devilish grin was spread across Yumi's face.

"Thanks Aniki. But I think I'll let Ulrich take it from here."

Ulrich placed his skateboard on the concrete and marched ever so closer to Odd until he stood toe to toe with him..

"Hey Ulrich. You wouldn't hurt your best friend right?" Odd said nervously.

"Maybe"

Ulrich balled up his fist and sent it flying at Odd's face only to stop his attack short and instead flicked the boy in his forehead.

"Now that makes us even" Ulrich chuckled. "Great plan Yumi."

"Let's hope he learns not to try something like that again" Yumi said light-heartedly.

Odd regained his composure and looked at his two friends who had managed to make him look like a fool.

"Ha ha. Ok guys, can we can go to the factory now? I'm sure XANA isn't taking any breaks of his own."

Odd raised his skateboard and placed it on the floor to show the rest of the group that he did mean business.

"Odd's right," Yumi agreed. "We need to get moving but stay on the lookout for anything suspicious. XANA might attack us at any moment."

"Lead the way Yumi."

* * *

Jeremie scanned all the internet websites that his mind could recall and kept his eye on the local news program he currently had displayed on his screen so that he could better monitor XANA's actions on Earth but found nothing. Even his reliable warning program that had managed to alert them of the train incident was coming up empty handed. 

"I just don't understand it," Jeremie muttered to himself. "XANA has activated a tower but so far everything is normal."

Aelita was doing some searching of her own. She had just recently transported herself to the mountain region of Lyoko and followed the path that the pulsations created in order to locate the tower herself. Her eyes quickly came across the glowing red cylinder sitting on top of a rocky platform that was connected to the rest of the mainland by two moderately sized land bridges located on opposite ends of the island. The girl took extra care so that she would not be spotted by XANA's minions and sought for a place to hide until the others would arrive. Her sanctuary took shape in the form of a dark tunnel that opened up to the entrance of the pathway. Aelita pressed her back against the tunnel's walls and melted into the shadows to remain hidden from the blocks that were guarding the tower.

Aelita wasted no time in contacting Jeremie to inform him of her latest accomplishment.

"Jeremie I found the tower and it's heavily guarded!"

"Nice job Aelita, now stay in a safe place until backup arrives."

"Ok Jeremie. I'll hide in this tunnel until the others arrive. Any updates on what XANA is up to over at Earth?"

"So far nothing. It's like he's not even here and that's making me even more nervous about this. I hope the others are ok."

Jeremie's concerns were soon quelled once he heard the gears to the factory's elevator crack and gyrate lowering the metal contraption to the factory's lower level.

"Good they're here. Let's just nip this problem in the bud and get it over with," Jeremie said in relief.

Yumi was the first one out of the elevator and immediately took charge of the situation.

"Ok Jeremie, tell us what we've been missing," Yumi spoke with a sense of authority in her voice.

"Here's the situation." Jeremie adjusted his glasses and got into a more comfortable sitting position before relaying the information he was willing to share. "I just finished with Jin's modifications and all of a sudden Aelita felt pulsations in Lyoko and went to locate the activated tower. She's currently hiding in a nearby tunnel and she says that the area is heavily guarded. Before you arrived, I just finished a internet scan of all the unnatural disasters but so far nothing out of the ordinary has happened."

"We'll head over to the scanners now." Yumi looked over at Aelita who was watching her conversation with Jeremie. "Hang on, we'll meet you in Lyoko as soon as we can. Just stay where you are and try not to arouse any suspicion."

"Okay"

Yumi and the others bolted inside the freight elevator and rode it downwards until it reached the scanner room. Jeremie watched the progress his friends were making and spoke into the intercom to inform them of their slight problem.

"Ok guys, this predicament should be familiar to you."

"How could I forget Einstein?" Odd spoke into the factory's camera. "Three scanners, four people."

"Who's going to be virtulized by themselves?"

Jin raised his hand and released a crisp snap catching everyone's attention.

"Since I'm the weakest and most inexperienced I'll go last. You three go on ahead of me so I don't slow you down. I'll find some way to catch up."

Yumi, Odd and Ulrich gave Jin a reassuring nod and stepped into the scanners for their up coming trip to Lyoko.

"You'll be heading over to the mountain region. Meet up with Aelita as soon as you can and be careful. You never know what tricks XANA has up his sleeve."

The scanner doors closed on them and Jeremie began the complex process of sending his companions the virtual world.

"Transfer Yumi. Transfer Odd. Transfer Ulrich"

The scanners were alive with activity once again and Jeremie continued with his procedure.

"Scanner Yumi. Transfer Odd. Transfer Ulrich."

With nothing else to do, Jeremie hit the enter key on his keyboard and hoped for the best.

"Virtualization"

The factory computer's alarm siren began to wail, sounding the warning bells in Jeremie's head.

"What the?"

Jeremie analyzed the three-dimensional outlines of his friend's Lyoko characters and saw the much-hated red exclamation marker flickering on top of the display.

"No!"

* * *

Odd, Ulrich and Yumi landed on the rocky soil of the mountain region with little incident. They stood upright and turned around completely to get a three-hundred and sixty degree view of their area before venturing off to look for Aelita. 

"Everyone report!" Jeremie's panicked voice rang out.

"You don't need to yell Einstein," said Odd while playfully covering his ears to make it appear that he was overreacting to the whole ordeal. "Try to lay off the caffeine next time. You're getting all jittery."

"I have every right to be Odd. There was an error in the transfer process. Are you guys ok?"

Ulrich took a quick moment to inspect himself for any physical damages.

"I don't feel any different."the boy replied.

Jeremie was still nervous about the upcoming mission and looked for any aspects on their characters that could have been damaged.

"Check your weapons hopefully they're still useful."

Ulrich and Yumi both drew out their trusty weapons and began to take a few practice swings noting any ill effects they might have experienced. Odd on his part placed his left hand over his right to see if his glove was working properly. The warriors' inspections failed to uncover any imperfections that XANA might have imposed on their battle instruments.

"Everything is working normally Jeremie," Yumi responded.

Jeremie banged his fist against the keyboard he was working on. Despite the fact that his friends said everything was fine only Lyoko, both he and the alert program begged to differ. Going off of his instincts, Jeremie's fingers quickly enter another command into the factory's computer and commenced a scan of his own.

"Give me a minute guys. I'm having the computer scan your characters to see what's exactly wrong with you."

"What about Aelita?" Odd asked worryingly.

"Don't worry about her. She's well hidden in the tunnel leading to the tower. Those monsters don't even have a clue that she's so close to them."

By the time Jeremie finished his sentence, the character scan ended and displayed its results on screen.

"I don't believe this!" said Jeremie still shocked by the results. "The scan said that everything is normal."

"First your alarm program picks up nothing and now this. It's like XANA isn't even attacking at all."

"But the pulsations contradict that."

"Let's just deactivate the tower so we don't need to find out what's going on."

Yumi glanced at her comrades in arms and pointed at the tunnel that Jeremie mentioned earlier and felt her leadership instincts kicking in once again.

"Ok guys, let's not keep Aelita waiting."

The trio moved to their desired location and were completely unaware of the set of mechanical eyes watching their exact movements from a distance.

* * *

SCANNING TARGET #1 

-Statistics-

**Name:** Yumi Ishiyama  
**Target Reference:** Red  
**Total Life Points:** 100  
**Weapon:** Metallic Fan  
**Weapon Damage:** 10 Points

CLOSE STATISTICS FILE

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

-Search Results-

**General Info:** Subject is balanced with speed and agility and is known to take great leaps in the air before attacking.

**Character Power: **Target is granted the ability of telekinesis and is able to move distant objects with her mind. Has been known to destroy other units through its use. However, target moves very slowly and must concentrate during activation of power.

**Combat Behavior:** Red is not very aggressive in combat and is very reserved during fights. Not as likely to be taking extreme risks as her cohorts. Acquires a defensive position during a fight making her hard to kill.

CLOSE IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR WEAPON PARAMETERS

-Search Results-

**Weapon Use:** Fan is wielded with the use of only one arm and is thrown by target and returns similar to a boomerang.

**Weapon Strengths:  
**-Has both long and short rang capabilities  
-Effective in defense of both user and user's allies  
-Will kill unit in a single attack

**Weapon Weaknesses:**  
- Red is venerable to attack after missed shot  
- Fan's return speed is slow depending on the distance it's thrown

CLOSE WEAPON PARAMETERS FILE

THREAT ASSESSMENT

-Final Analysis-

Target is extremely level headed in battle and will only attack when it's needed. Exercise cation when luring her into traps. Attacks are easy to dodge but are still dangerous.

**Threat Rating:** B

CLOSE TARGET SCAN ON RED

* * *

SCANNING TARGET #2 

-Statistics-

**Name:** Odd Della Robbia  
**Target Reference:** Purple  
**Total Life Points:** 100  
**Weapon:** Arrow Gloves  
**Ammo Count:** 10 Arrows  
**Weapon Damage:** 5 Points

CLOSE STATISTICS FILE

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

-Search Results-

**General Info:** Purple falls victim to ambushes easily but escapes due to target's increased agility and speed. Most agile subject in database and hardest to target overall.

**Character Power:** Subject is able to receive flash visions of future events and will notify allies of his findings. Has revealed locations of hidden objects and ambushes before though Purple is unable to control this phenomenon.

**Combat Behavior:** Target is careless in battle and charges recklessly in hostile areas. Uses arrows gratuitously and has little concern for conserving ammo.

CLOSE IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR WEAPON PARAMETERS

-Search Results-

**Weapon Use:** Two gloves on each hand that shoots small arrows. Projectiles unusable once fired.

**Weapon Strengths:  
**-Suited for long-range combat  
-Will kill unit in a single attack  
-Easy to aim

**Weapon Weaknesses:**  
- Can not defend self against oncoming attacks  
- Is unable to attack once arrow supply is depleted  
- Arrows can also be dodged

CLOSE WEAPON PARAMETERS FILE

THREAT ASSESSMENT

-Final Analysis-

Although target is highly careless in battle, he is still able to destroy countless other units during that time. Heightened agility proves to be a problem in Purple's destruction and is a major element in his abilities. It should also be noted that subject his highly gifted in protecting Pink. See later scans for more info.

**Threat Rating:** A-

CLOSE TARGET SCAN ON PURPLE

* * *

SCANNING TARGET #3 

-Statistics-

**Name:** Ulrich Stern  
**Target Reference:** Yellow  
**Total Life Points:** 100  
**Weapon:** Japanese Katana  
**Weapon Damage:** 10 Points

CLOSE STATISTICS FILE

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

-Search Results-

**General Info:** Fastest target on file and can run at extremely high speeds at will. Highly skillful in combat in close quarters and is capable of defeating several units alone.

**Character Power:** Target can make two exact clones of himself and are just as effective in battle as he is. Clones are dispatched in one hit but are just as dangerous.

**Combat Behavior: **Though not as reckless as Purple, Yellow too will charge into unfamiliar areas alone if provoked. Highly aggressive at times, target is highly aware of his surroundings and is rarely defeated in battle. Is most likely to take the front line in during conflicts.

CLOSE IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR WEAPON PARAMETERS

-Search Results-

**Weapon Use:** Can be swung with the aid of one or two arms and is used for melee attacks only.

**Weapon Strengths:  
**-Can kill unit in a single hit  
-Capable of rapid attacks  
-Can be used for defense  
-Is able to deflect beam attacks back a unit potentially damaging it.

**Weapon Weaknesses:**  
- No long-range properties  
-Can only attack one side at a time  
- Must remove blade from fallen unit before attack sequence can resume

CLOSE WEAPON PARAMETERS FILE

THREAT ASSESSMENT

-Final Analysis-

Attacking target at close range in almost suicide. Must use alternative methods if victory is to be ensured.

**Threat Rating: **A

CLOSE TARGET SCAN ON YELLOW

* * *

"Hey Jeremie! You're still alive up there?" Yelled Jin who was still anxiously awaiting for his departure into Lyoko. "I got a trip to Lyoko which is scheduled right now and I don't want to keep the others waiting." 

"I don't think that's a good idea Jin. There was an error in the transfer for Yumi, Ulrich and Odd and I have yet to pinpoint the problem."

"The more bodies we have down there, the better our chances of beating this thing quickly. Besides, you haven't told me what you changed with my character so let's see what you got in store for me."

Jeremie reluctantly adhered to Jin's request and began to activate the scanners for yet another transfer.

"Just try not to get yourself killed out there. Transfer Jin."

The factory's scanners were alive with activity as they followed the commands that Jeremie typed into the computer.

"Scanner Jin."

One last key stroke was all that Jeremie needed before he would send Jin into Lyoko.

"Virtualization."

Jeremie heard the alarm and saw yet another red exclamation point in his computer.

"What the heck is going on here?!"

* * *

Jin watched his body slowly materialized in the virtual world and looked at how high he really was from the ground below him. 

"I always hate this part of the job" Jin thought to himself before he plummeted like a rock head-first.

THUD!

Jeremie couldn't help but chuckle to himself after witnessing yet another face plant in Lyoko. The laughter alleviated the boy's anxiety levels a bit and allowed him to think through the ordeal with a clear head.

"Least the error didn't affect your landing Jin," Jeremie giggled into his headset.

"Mind telling me those changes you made now?" said Jin who was slightly dazed by the massive blow his body took.

"Meet up with Aelita first. She's in the tunnel leading to the tower and that's where the others are headed. All four of you must make sure that she gets to the tower unharmed."

"I'm on my way!"

It was now Jin's turn to sprint toward the rendez-vous point and just like the three before him, Jin too was subjected to the mechanical eye's inspection.

* * *

SCANNING TARGET #4 

-Statistics-

**Name:** Jin Ishiyama  
**Target Reference:** White  
**Total Life Points:** 100  
**Weapon:** Dual .45 Caliber Pistols/Bayonet Equipped Sniper Rifle  
**Ammo Count:** 40 Bullets  
**Weapon Damage:** Unit's damage reflected on current weapon wielded.  
-Pistol:2.5 Points  
-Sniper Rifle10 Points  
-Bayonet: 5 Points

CLOSE STATISTICS FILE

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

-Search Results-

**General Info:** Long range character that specializes in the use of human ballistic weapons. Slightly less agile than Purple but still difficult to hit..

**Character Power:** Target goes into a deep "trance" state before firing his weapons in a highly accurate and quick manner. Power is capable of attacking other units almost simultaneously. Ammo expenditure rises substantially during use.

**Combat Behavior:** Subject relays heavily on surroundings for defense and will take cover behind nearby rocks, trees and other items to avoid damage. White is rarely stationary while shooting and favors diving shots. Just recently, target performed a leaping forward dive while spinning sideways which our audio scanners managed to pick up as being called a "Psycho Crusher." Further observation is needed on white. Has been known to use martial arts attacks while fighting.

CLOSE IN-DEPTH CHARACTER PARAMETERS REPORT

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR WEAPON PARAMETERS

NOTE

Target uses a dual, weapon system and can select a desired weapon before fighting. Choice is final until subject is once again virtualized. For clarity purposes, two separate files have been created for White's weaponry.

RESUME SEARCH

-Search Results (File #1)-

**Weapon Use: **Two handheld pistols each loaded with a ten bullet clip. Must reload each gun separately after clip is spent. Unable to kill unit directly even if a critical hit is achieved.

WARNING: Unit will be stunned if struck by bullet regardless of hit location.

**Weapon Strengths:  
**-High rate of fire  
-Large total bullet count  
-Long rage  
-Bullets have stagger effects  
-Bullets are hard to dodge

**Weapon Weaknesses:**  
-Weakest weapon among enemies  
-Must be manually reloaded  
-No defense capabilities

CLOSE WEAPON PARAMETERS FILE #1

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR WEAPON PARAMETERS FILE #2

-Search Results (File #2)-

**Weapon Use: **Sniper rifle with scope for increased accuracy. Unit unable to retaliate due to long range capabilities. Bayonet is attached to gun's barrel for melee attacks.

**Changes From Pistols:  
**-Increased range  
-Bullets are more damaging  
-Rate of fire slower

**Similarities:  
**-Stagger effects unchanged  
-Total ammo count constant  
-Power's effects still apply

**Weapon Strengths:  
**-Can attack without the use of bullets  
-Longer rang than unit's standard issue weapons  
-Will kill unit in a single hit  
-Can block beam attacks (unable to deflect like Yellow)

**Weapon Weaknesses:**  
-Must eject spent bullet after each shot (Power negates this effect)  
-Rifle is clumsy as a close quarters weapon  
-Must be manually reloaded  
-Target unable to perform diving shots

CLOSE WEAPON PARAMETERS FILE #2

THREAT ASSESSMENT

-Final Analysis-

White's unorthodox fighting style proves to be hard to analyze. Though by himself he poses no problems, when with the others target he is almost deadly. Take careful note of what weapon subject is using and deal with the situation accordingly. Target can't fight many units at once without aid, take this element into precaution. Multiple threat ratings have been issued due to subject's wide assortment of weaponry and likelihood of receiving reenforcements..

THREAT RATINGS

**Pistols Group:** A -  
**Pistols Solo:** C  
**Sniper Rifle Group:** A  
**Sniper Rifle Solo:** B-

CLOSE TARGET SCAN ON WHITE

* * *

Aelita silently stood in the tunnel as Jeremie instructed her to do with her back pressed against the wall along with Yumi, Odd and Ulrich silently watching the group of four blocks circling the tower. 

"Jeremie," Aelita whispered as not to alert her enemies of her location.

"Yes Aelita," Jeremie responded almost just as quietly.

"You said that you have yet to detect any problems on Earth that XANA could have caused."

"Correct and it's driving me up the walls trying to figure out what is going on."

"And then you said that there was a transfer error when Yumi, Odd, Ulrich and Jin entered Lyoko."

"And also Jin when he was virtualized.."

"Do you think those two phenomenon could be connected to one another? That would explain why everything in your world is still normal."

Jeremie's eyes opened wide with realization after listening to Aelita's deduction. How could he have been so blind.

"That could be it Aelita! But we still have a major problem on our hands. We still don't know what XANA has to gain from all of this."

"Let's just hope we never find out. I don't want to see the others get hurt," Aelita said with downcast eyes.

"My thoughts exactly."

* * *

Yumi and the others couldn't help be overhear Jeremie and Aelita's conversation and were a little bit concerned for their safety. 

"Did you hear that guys?" Yumi said quietly to her companions who were currently standing behind her.

"Loud and clear," Ulrich answered confidently. "We are in some serious hot water right now."

"That's right. If we're going to see through this we're going to need a plan. So that means we can't just rush in there attack at will." Yumi turned her head and stared a hole through her purple-clad friend. "That goes double for you Odd."

Ulrich and Odd heard a tapping sound behind them that was getting increasing louder as time passed. Assuming the worst, the two fighters quickly spun on their heels and faced the potential intruder with their weapons drawn.

"Eep," Jin squeaked as he saw Ulrich's blade pointing straight as his throat. "You know, a simple hello would be sufficient."

"Sorry Jin" Ulrich apologized before attentively starring at the tower in front of him.

Seeing that her brother finally managed to arrive at their meeting place, Yumi took the first step in coordinating an attack with Jeremie.

"Everyone's here. Mind telling us what we're up against?"

"Ok guys listen up. According to the halomap, you have four blocks protecting the tower but keep in mind that XANA can send in more monsters at any moment so you have to stay on your toes."

"We'll do that Jeremie. Continue."

"I don't need to tell you the dangers of rushing the area do I? Aside from the lasers that you need to dodge, there's also the fact that you're fighting on a land bridge. Now it's not too narrow but it is still a factor that you should be aware of." Jeremie stopped his explanation of the scenery to move on a different subject. "Jin"

"Talk to me."

"I need you to test out those modifications I made to your character."

"What exactly did you do to me? I better like it."

"I changed the program on your sunglasses so that they work more like a traditional camera rather than having them be connected to your optic nerves."

"Now why did you go and do that?"

"You tend to close your eyes a lot in Lyoko so I see nothing but black when you do that."

Jin was slightly embarrassed, "Oops, sorry man."

"Ok Jin, I want you to go out of the tunnel and look at the blocks. I need to see how well it can function."

"Fine by me."

* * *

Jin slowly walked out of the safety of the shelter that he was hiding in and looked at the moving blocks just as he was instructed him to do. The pictures were soon captured and Jeremie watched the footage from the safety of the factory with a satisfied grin on his face. 

"Ok, now remove the glasses from your head and point them at the tower."

"Why don't I just test them by closing my eyes?"

"This is a better way in testing the equipment out. I need to know if I created a camera or if I just made something that could just simply penetrate your eyelids."

"Let's hope this works."

Jin did as he was told and gently removed the piece of eyewear thus exposing his eyes to the virtual sunlight for the first time. He lifted his freehand to his brow and used it to block the rays of light that were blinding him and pointed the glasses in the direction of the tower.

"So far so good. Now activate the slow down portion of your power and we're done."

"So that's why you wanted me to look at the monsters. You needed to see if the slow effects of my power are still captured by your camera and you knew that I need an enemy in my vision for me to start it."

"Correct."

Concentrating in the area in front of him, Jin allowed Jeremie to watch all of the blocks movements in slow motion turning the whole picture black and white in the process.

"That's good enough Jin. You can stop now."

Jin stopped using his power but kept his arm extended as he took in a quick breather. He looked at the tower and saw one block march in front of the pathway's entrance. The monster then halted its march and turned to face him. Jeremie quickly saw what the block was going to do and warned Jin what was going on.

"Watch out! That thing is going to shoot!"

Jeremie's warning came too late as the red laser flew through the air and struck Jin in his hand. The shot caused Jin's arm to be thrown backwards and made him hurl his sunglasses over the pathway's edge and into the virtual abyss below. The three other blocks stood at the entrance also and began to fire upon the boy as well.

"Crap!" Jin screamed out as he scrambled toward the tunnel. He made his way inside and hid behind the wall all while the blocks kept shooting at the group's makeshift shelter.

"Don't worry about your glasses Jin," Jeremie communicated. "They'll be reloaded the next time your virtualized but now you have to worry about those monsters!"

"This is just great!" Odd said sarcastically. "We're pinned down in this tiny area. We need to get out there and take those enemies out!"

"No we can't!" Ulrich said with authority. "By the time we get close enough to attack we'll get blasted. There is no possible way we can dodge and block all those shots for that long period of time."

"Jin!" Yumi commanded. "You think you can eliminate those blocks with your rifle?"

"I'm not sure," Jin said doubtfully. "Let me get into position first."

Jin stepped out from his hiding place and stood in the tunnel's mouth. Before he could reach behind him, the blocks let lose another firestorm of lasers at him. Jin barely managed to escape damage by jumping out of the beam's way and returned to his original spot back inside the tunnel.

"Double crap!" Jin screamed out of frustration. "Those guys are just relentless! There is no way I can aim my rifle in time, let alone pull it out."

Yumi worked up enough courage to peek outside and see if there was any hope of defeating the monsters outside. Her eyes quickly came across a pair of boulders at the edge of the bridge that were set one behind the other.

"I got it!" Yumi exclaimed.

Everyone's attention was captivated by the girl's excited cry.

"Here's the plan. I saw two boulders about halfway down the bridge. They're of pretty good size and will make excellent cover for us.

"I saw those boulders too" Jin added. "But the five of us can hide behind one of them."

"I know Aniki and I've already thought ahead of that. I will use my telekinesis to lift one of the rocks to the opposite end of the platform."

"Oh I get it," Ulrich said excitedly. "That way we're not crowed around one area. You moving the boulders will allow us to split up and will shorten the amount of distance that we have to run continuously."

"That's the plan, but I need some help getting there. Any volunteers?"

Ulrich held his sword in front of him and spoke confidently, "I'll help block for you."

Odd also followed suit, "And I'll keep the monsters at bay."

Yumi nodded as she watched her plan develop. "Good. Aniki, you stay here and cover Aelita incase XANA tries to attack us from behind. We'll need you for a distraction later so use your handguns."

Jin did not hesitate in drawing his trusty handguns hidden underneath his over shirt.

"Roger that sis. Good luck."

* * *

Adrenaline circulated through Yumi's veins as she began to create a mental picture of her impromptu battle plan within her mind's eye. Never before had she have to come up with a strategy this complex while on Lyoko for it required almost everyone to carry out their particular role in the endeavor. 

"It's now or never," the girl whispered to herself. "Ulrich, Odd, you guys ready?"

"Ready" the two boys answered simultaneously.

"Go!"

Ulrich and Odd were the first two people out of the tunnel with Yumi close behind them. They ran toward their adversaries as fast as they could. The firing squad of monsters did not was a single millisecond and seized the opportunity by unleashing another deadly swarm of lasers at the group. Yumi held her fan in front of her and began swatting at any stray beams that dared to get close to her as Ulrich was doing the same. They ran onward and only focused on their duties ignoring the block's efforts in stopping them. It was almost as if the closer they got to their intended area, the fiercer their enemies became. Odd couldn't bear to watch Yumi and Ulrich brave XANA's relentless assault any longer. He had to act. Storing as much energy in his legs as he could, Odd took one giant leap of faith over Ulrich and Yumi and angled his wrist at his enemies.

"Laser Arrow!"

Odd released four darts from his purple glove and successfully struck two of the blocks in the center of their XANA symbols. A ray of light emitted from the tiny wound that the darts created and caused both the blocks to shake violently before they exploded in a brilliant shower of sparks and scrap metal. Odd quickly landed in a crouching position and rolled behind the safety of the boulders.

"Great job Odd!" Yumi congratulated as she and Ulrich took their seats behind the large rocks that were now serving as their makeshift shields. "I'll take it from here."

The Japanese girl gently pressed her fingers across her temples and shut her eyes, anticipating the mental strain that she was going to experience.

"Telekinesis," Yumi whispered softly.

Odd turned his head in the direction of the boulder furthest away from him in order to get a better glimpse of Yumi's handiwork. First the massive boulder vibrated side to side then lifted off the ground as the telekinetic strangle it was wrapped in took effect. The rock gently floated in the air over to the other side of the land bridge.

"Ok Yumi, you can drop it now," informed Ulrich.

"Gah" the girl grunted, relieved to drop the heavy load her mind was carrying.

Jeremie was happy to see that the first phase of Yumi's operation was successfully carried out.

"Aelita, Jin, Yumi finished moving the boulder and two of the blocks have been destroyed. Move up to the barricade now."

* * *

BATTLE REPORT SUMMERY 

-Total Unit Life Points-

**Unit #1:** 100  
**Unit #2:** DESTROYED  
**Unit #3:** DESTROYED  
**Unit #4:** 100

-Total Enemy Life Points-

**Pink:** 100  
**Yellow:** 100  
**Red:** 100  
**White:** 85  
**Purple:** 100

-Total Enemy Ammunition Supplies-

**Purple: **6 Arrows  
**White: **40 Bullets

FINAL RESULTS

White suffered minor damages, rest of enemies in perfect condition. Red, Yellow and Purple have taken cover behind a nearby boulder. Two fellow units destroyed in battle requesting reenforcements.

WARNING! WARNING!

WHITE AND PINK IN ATTACK RANGE!

BEGIN TARGET SCAN

-Statistics-

**Name:** Aelita  
**Target Reference:** Pink  
**Total Life Points:** 100  
**Weapon:** N/A  
**Weapon Damage:** N/A

CLOSE STATISTICS FILE

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

**General Info:** Only person able to deactivate towers. Does not have the luxury of returning to "reality." Complete loss of life points can attribute to Pink's permanent destruction however she can regenerate her life force while inside a tower. Only target that is completely unarmed.

**Character Power:** Pink can alter the environment to more favorable conditions at her very whim through the sound of her voice. Indication of use of this specific trait is subject assuming a kneeling posture. Use of this ability drains fifty life points.

**Combat Behavior: **Subject is helpless in battle and is unable to retaliate against other units. Will avoid combat if possible. Previous fights have shown other targets receiving damage for pink. Must use this pattern of behavior to unit's advantage.

CLOSE IN-DEPTH CHARACTER REPORT

ACCESSING DATABASE FOR WEAPON PARAMETERS

-Search Results-

Note: Since Pink uses no weapons in particular this file is empty.

CLOSE WEAPON PARAMETERS FILE

THREAT ASSESSMENT

-Final Analysis-

Despite the fact that target carries now weapons and does not engage in conflicts it is still advised of all units to engage pink in battle.

**Threat Rating: **Destroy at All Costs!

* * *

XANA always had a tendency of turning the most ideal situations into moments of sheer terror. This only being no exception. 

Jeremie kept his eye on the holomap and was on his toes ready to alert his friends if XANA would try anything tricky and sure enough the rouge program had a few aces up his sleeves. The opposite end of the tower where the others were standing was showing signs of activity. Just when Jin and Aelita began their frantic sprint to the roadblock that Yumi created, three red circles began to inch their way closer to the two remaining blocks on the land bridge.

"Aelita, Jin watch out!" warned the boy. "Three more monsters are coming your way!"

"Triple crap!" Jin screamed out.

The blocks arrived in front of the tower and drove up the total enemy count to five. The newly reenforced enemy line unleashed another deadly wave of lasers at the two running figures in hopes of draining away all of their life points. Jin raised his arm in hopes of firing his own weapon but instantly stopped his move when he saw a single red beam rocket straight toward Aelita. Without a moment's notice, the Lyoko gunner jumped in front of the girl and absorbed the attack into his chest knocking him down in the process.

"No!" screamed Aelita.

In that spec of time, Aelita soon found herself in the block's sight and felt two hot pains in her abdomen. The virtual being could not begin to comprehend the pain she was experiencing and doubled over in hopes to better deal with her anguish.

"AELITA!" Jeremie screamed out. The horrific sight almost drove him to tears but he held onto his composure for his friends' sake. "Yumi, Odd, Ulrich you three need to bail them out!"

"Way ahead of you Einstein" Odd replied. "Ok Ulrich, cover me."

Ulrich gave Odd the thumbs up and stepped out into the open with his roommate. Odd was the first one to react and managed only to raise his right fist up before being struck in the leg. Ulrich immediately blocked the next laser that came Odd's way and was rewarded by having a laser pierce his right shoulder. Suddenly Yumi sprung into action and threw Ulrich back behind the boulder and drew her fan out in one fluid motion she too was hit. By that time, Jeremie's program had already taken effect and killed whatever painful sensation that was in Odd's leg and allowed him to fight once more.

"Try this! Laser Arrow!"

Odd unleashed another quadruple burst of arrows at the blocks and got the same results as his last attack. Two more monster was removed from their virtual existence and gave the fighters a much-needed reversal of fortune. Satisfied with his latest achievement, Odd dove behind the rock with Ulrich right behind him.

Jin had managed to help Aelita to her feet and escorted her to the vacant boulder without incident. With the first step in Yumi's plan finally completed, the group now had to figure up on their follow up.

"Glad we're still in one piece" Jin said casually.

Ulrich couldn't have said it any differently, "My thoughts exactly."

An angry Jeremie's voice could be heard soon after.

"Odd, you used up eight of your arrows already! You can be so careless sometimes."

"Relax Jeremie," Yumi said sternly. "Yelling at each other isn't going to help us deactivate a tower."

Ulrich nodded in agreement, "We took too much damage back there. We need another plan."

"Well whatever it is, count me out of it," Odd said sadly. "With only two arrows left I can't be of much use to you guys unless its to just absorb damage."

Jeremie already had a possible solution to his friend's predicament. "Odd, I can refill your total arrow count but I'm going to have to take my eyes off the holomap to do it."

"In that case don't Einstein."

"What?"

"We need you to keep us posted on what going on at all times. That last wave of enemies sure gave us a run for our money. If we want to stay alive, we need you to give us the heads up."

"Then what will you do?"

"I'll take the lead and absorb as take as many shots as I can before I buy the virtual farm."

"I don't think that's necessary," Jin interrupted.

Odd's half-confused grunt was cut off by two objects being tossed in the air. The purple-clad fighter managed to catch the items and looked in amazement when he saw what he was holding.

"Jin, no way. It's..."

"Just take good care of it."

In Odd's gloved hands was both Jin's pistol and spare bullet clip. He was mildly surprised to see that his finger was able to fit inside the trigger guard.

"I would give you a better tutorial on how to operate that thing but we're kind of pressed for time. Just put the target in the center and pull the switch and if you're good it won't be there anymore."

The boy took a few moments to get comfortable with using the weapon by pointing at various objects around him.

"Thanks Jin."

"No problem. So sis, got any other plans today. We're more than half way there so let's press the attack."

"I do Aniki. That last run didn't go so well since we just ran in there blindly."

"Way ahead of you sis. Odd and I'll will keep those guys distracted so you and Ulrich and go in for the kill."

Yumi's expression changed from a look of simple thinking to that or pure determination. "Ready when you guys are."

"Start us off Odd."

The battle soon went underway. Odd gracefully leapt on top of the rock he was hiding and aimed his gun at the unaware enemies guarding the tower. Bullets flew out of the barrel of the gun embedding themselves into the iron hides of the mechanical menaces causing them to jerk and twist underneath the attack. Jin too perched on the rock and joined in on the abuse and only added to the block's suffering.

Ulrich and Yumi bolted out his hiding place and charged at the foes with reckless abandon.

The swordsman and the Japanese girl leapt high into the air picking out their victims out of the bunch.

"IMPACT!" The warrior shouted at the top of his lungs. He drove his sword into the block's core with all the strength he could summon in his arms bending and twisting the digital blade within the monster's insides ensuring a early death.

Yumi centered her vision upon a random block that just happen to be right in front of her. With a quick flick of her wrist, the deadly fan flew out of her hands and sliced through the minion's core. The circular object sliced through the block's inner mechanics and reduced it to nothing more than a walking pile of scrap metal.

Ulrich took on look behind him preparing for a back attack and saw Jin, Aelita and Odd running in his direction but had ceased their gun fire to avoid hitting him and Yumi.

Jeremie saw the three reaming circles on the holomap and alerted the others of what was going on.the other bunch of monsters making their way to the tower.

"Ulrich, three blocks are still alive. Deal with them!"

The swordsman could feel the blood pump throughout his body. Gripping the handle of his katana as tight as he could, Ulrich shouted the words that could gave him the much need assistance he desired.

"Triplicate!"

Two clones of Ulrich materialized by his side and were ready to accept any orders that were about to be given."

"Attack!"

The identical warriors rushed the blocks with weapons in hand in a highly coordinated assault. The real Ulrich was in the middle and his two companions were on opposite sides of him. Not one single person was out of step as the entire trio moved in perfect harmony with one another. However, the block's were not going to take this latest attack lying down and countered with an organized attack of their own focusing all of their cannon fire at one target at a time as to make sure a hit was guaranteed. The blocks first locked onto the left clone and decimated him in a single blast. Odd caught wind of the plight his best friend was in and fired Jin's pistol at the block directly in front of the real Ulrich as to have him avoid any further damage. One bullet was all that Odd need as the block nearly toppled over backwards after being hit in it's upper right corner.

"Man I love blocks," Odd chuckled.

Ulrich resolved the issue with one clean upward slice with his sword which almost divided his opponent in two. The assailant's sides soperated from each other before it erupted in a ball of fire leaving no trace of its presence behind. The remaining clone also succeeded in killing off it's desired enemy too.

"Thanks for the help back there Odd."

"No problem buddy and since I'm in such a generous mood I'll do this for you."

Odd lifted his free arm and pointed his wrist at the last surviving attacker.

"Say high to your friends for me. Laser Arrow!"

Another tally was added to Odd's kill list with the firing of his second to last arrow.

Ulrich extended his left arm forward and called his clone back to him. "Fusion," Now completely satisfied with the destruction he caused, he allowed his body to relax for the first time since his virtualization.

Yumi wiped the beaded sweat drops that accumulated on her brow and also took the moment to relax. After all that intense fighting the attack would soon be over, all they needed now was for Aelita to step inside the tower.

"Another XANA attack thwarted. Ok Aelita, you know the drill."

Aelita couldn't help but giggle at Yumi's words. The easy feeling that the others were experiencing was coetaneous as it affected the virtual being as well. Aelita raised both her arms and slowly walk toward the tower.

* * *

How foolish those children are. That this was the full extent of its attack. Everything aspect of this battle was planned by the minute. The tower's location, the constant laser fire and even the blocks that were defeated. All of this was carried out so that all of his enemies would be standing in one area expecting victory to only receive anguish shortly after. If they thought getting in was difficult, escaping this trap unharmed will prove to be downright impossible.

* * *

Even though he was sitting in his chair in the factory, Jeremie too was just as stressed out as the other fighters. Coordinating attacks, watching for nearby enemies and keeping track of life points all put a mental strain on the intellectual prodigy. He slumped into his seat and allowed his mind to recollect itself before he said his congratulatory speech. 

"Excellent job guys. Especially you Odd, never knew you were such a good shot with Jin's weaponry. Now all we have to do is....WHAT THE?!"

It happened so fast. Moving ever so closer to his friends were five more red circles. Three of them were coming from behind the tower while the remaining two opted to approach the party by taking the land bridge that they originally crossed. The sight baffled Jeremie to no end. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening in the real world and the transfer error yielded no negative effects, yet still XANA was showing an unprecedented amount of resistance. The others needed to be alerted.

"Everyone, watch out! You're all surrounded!"

Jeremie raised the alarm too late for no sooner did his words leave his mouth, did he see on the holomap two blocks storing up an unusually large amount of energy in their systems.

* * *

"Surrounded?!" Ulrich repeated in a shocked tone of voice. He couldn't believe how quickly they were taken by surprised. 

Yumi eye's opened wide after the magnitude of the situation finally hit her. She saw the blocks on the land bridge out of the corner of her eye prepare for yet another laser blast but something was different about them. Instead of a demonic red aura that the blocks usually omitted while they were charging up, this time the cubic foes glowed a bluish hue.

The girl's instincts told her that this unique pattern of combat spelled bad news for herself and her friends. Before she could even begin to utter her own word of warning the first block managed to expel all the excess energy that they were originally storing. Yumi's eyes tried their best to follow the blue ball's path until it splashed onto Ulrich's right leg, spreading itself throughout the boy's body like some sort of parasitic virus. Ulrich desperately tried to move his leg but found it frozen to the surface he was standing on. Slowly more and more of him began to submit to the icy blat's wrath until he was nothing more than a frozen statue, and a trophy for XANA.

Yumi called out the boy's name to see if he was alright but was not greeted to any sort of response what so ever.

"Ulrich!" Yumi tried her best to establish contact with the incapacitated human being but found her words fall upon deaf ears.

"Yumi, Ulrich has just been frozen and will be devirtualized soon. XANA blocks are able to eliminate your entire life point count with that blue blast so be careful!" Jeremie informed the slightly shaken girl.

As if on command, the glacier formerly known as Ulrich Stern slowly faded away from virtual existence. Then it was the second block's turn to fire.

"Yumi, get down!" Odd commanded. Yumi watched her friend point his wrist at the adversary directly in front of him only to be shot with the same frigid blast that removed Ulrich from the Lyoko.

Jin noticed that Odd dropped the pistol that was given to him minutes before the encounter and swiftly rolled on the ground to retrieve it. Now dual wielding his weapons once more, he stood side by side with Yumi and Aelita trying his best to think of a way that they could emerge from this ordeal victorious.

* * *

Odd and Ulrich ignored the tired pleas that their bodies were signaling them and ran to the freight elevator as fast as they can so that they could get an update on the current battle conditions. 

To say that Jeremie was nervous would be an understatement. In all the battles that he witnessed on Lyoko, he had never seen a situation so grim before. Two blocks on the narrow pathway and three more blocks guarding the tower, all while having Yumi, Jin and Aelita in the center. With three fresh monsters guarding the glowing red building, it seemed like all hope in deactivating it was lost. A loud hiss followed by a series of loud clanks was indication that Ulrich and Odd were going to be visiting him soon demanding a report of what was going on right now.

Odd was the first one to start the round of questioning.

"How are things looking down there Einstein?"

"Not good at all. Although Yumi still hasn't been hit, Both Aelita and Jin have a little more than fifty life points each. Aside from all of this, Jin's bullet clips are almost depleted. However, our biggest concern here is Aelita for she only has sixty points left."

The situation had gotten out of hand. Even though Yumi and Jin were excellent fighters on Lyoko, there was no possible way that they can take on five blocks by themselves all while keeping a severally wounded Aelita safe. There was one course of action that they would have to take.

* * *

The Ishiyama siblings were in more favorable conditions in the past. Never before had they have to face so many enemies at once without Odd and Ulrich's aid. Assuming both of their fighting stances, the brother and sister team began to set their priorities straight. 

"Aniki, above all else protect Aelita. That is our number one duty as of right now."

"Way ahead of you sis. Now, how do you suppose we take out these monsters?"

"You don't," Jeremie answered for Yumi.

"Ok, now you're confusing me."

"There are too many enemies out there and Aelita has too few life points. You guys are going to have to make a tactical retreat."

"A retreat huh?" Jin commented. "I usually see my fights till the very end but I suppose there's a first time for everything."

Yumi was in full agreement of Jeremie's plan. "I suppose we don't have a choice. Where do we go?"

"According to the holomap, if you go through the tunnel that you were originally hiding and continue going in that direction you'll come across another tower. Escort Aelita there safely and I'll devirtualize you myself."

"What about the transfer error?"

"Odd and Ulrich are here with me and are perfectly normal."

"Ok Jeremie. Thanks for the plan. Aniki and I will handle the rest."

* * *

Excellent, all was going according to plan. If things work out the way that they were anticipated, the trio will run to the nearest tower available. This should be allowed as today's strategy does not involve getting the two real world visitors devirtualized as of right now. However, since had such a golden opportunity. He should dispose of a certain meddlesome program while's he's at it just to save himself a lot of trouble in the long run.

* * *

"Jin, take the front and I'll cover the rear. Aelita, you run in-between us and try your best to stay close to us." 

"Ok," the two said simultaneously.

Jin lead the charge to the tower that Jeremie had instructed them to go to. Before the blocks on the pathway react to what was going on, Jin fired a quick double burst from his handguns and smiled when he saw the monster he was aiming at explode shortly after. There was no need for him to deal with the second foe for there was a spinning fan coming from his right side that destroyed the creature for him. Yumi caught her weapon soon after and took a quick glance behind her. Imagine the look of astonishment on her face when she saw that none of XANA's minions were in hot pursuit of her. Not being the type of person to look a gift horse in the mouth, she pressed onward.

As always the information that Jeremie supplied was accurate and reliable. After what seemed like an eternity of intense running, the tower was finally in view.

* * *

Now was the time for the coup de grace. The final step was about to be completed and its meddlesome enemies will finally be decimated. All it needed to do now was to send out its lone agent of destruction and wait for the results.

* * *

The pink-haired girl ran into the clearing where the tower stood and smiled gleefully. Even though she was as the result of a full shale retreat, she was glad to be safe from anymore harm. However, Aelita, was deeply saddened that she was one of the reasons why the others had to run away as well. It was because of her carelessness that caused her to get hit so many times. She had to apologize before she stepped foot inside the tower. 

"I'm sorry Yumi. If I payed more attention to what was going on, maybe we could have deactivated the tower instead of being here right now. Now I fear that someone in your world will be gravely injured and it's all my fault."

Yumi tried her best to keep the girl's spirits up. "It's ok Aelita. XANA hasn't done anything yet so I wouldn't worry about that just. And besides, we all make mistakes. That what makes us human."

The look on Aelita's eyes brightened. Those words, they reminded her that she was more than just a simple computer program like XANA. That maybe there was hope for her to be materialized after all. She took a quick moment to think of her possible life on Earth. Her new future and of Jeremie. These images also brought a smile to the girl's delicate features.

"Are you thinking of a certain someone?" Yumi teased.

Aelita giggled underneath the pressure she was in. Before she could say anything else, she felt a strange dark presence within her.

"Pulsations?" Aelita whispered to herself. "Something like that but...this is different."

The source of Aelita's uneasiness came flying toward the group in the form of a hornet compliments of XANA

* * *

Jeremie's computer went wild with activity as to alert him of the flying creature. 

"Hey Jeremie, is your computer on the fritz or what?" Ulrich said flatly.

"No it's not and that's what is worrying me."

"Huh?"

"Get a look at this!"

Odd and Ulrich crowded around the computer screen to see what could have caused their friend to make such an outburst. Jeremie hit a couple of keys on his keyboard and brought up a close up model of the hornet that was about to come in contact with Aelita and the others. A red exclamation point was being displayed in front of the creature.

"It's a hornet, Big deal. We've fought so many before, what's another one to us?" Odd scoffed.

"It is a big deal Odd! There is something not right about this picture. Usually waspsters never attack on their own but this one in going solo and there's something different about it."

"Different?"

"That's why the exclamation point is there. That waspster has been altered in some way most likely for the worse."

"Then what happens if that thing hits them?" Ulrich asked.

"I have no idea but then again, I'm not too keen on finding out."

"Then you should tell Jin and Yumi because I don't think they're aware of this information."

"You're absolutely right Odd." Jeremie adjusted his headset and watched the holomap As he was prepared to say his message he watched Yumi's life point count drop to zero and her character card remove itself from his computer screen. He didn't know exactly what happened but he automatically thought of the worst case scenario.

"YUMI!" The three boys said in unison.

This was bad. Yumi was somehow devirtualized by that modified waspster, Who knows what could have happened to her between that moment and now. Jeremie watched Ulrich and Odd bolt to the freight elevator and he followed them close by. Once inside he pressed the large red button on the wall so that it would lower to the scanner room. Jeremie looked at Ulrich and saw that his face was painted with a look of sheer worry and fear. Everyone was scared right now for they were all concerned with Yumi's condition as they didn't know what to expect. The entire day was the group moving from one unexplained enigma to the rest. A XANA attack with no repercussions, a transfer error without adverse effects and now a waspster who somehow found itself carrying a special modification. Jeremie was too lost in thought to notice the elevator's doors open but Ulrich wasn't.

* * *

It happened so quickly. One minute he was making snide remarks about Jeremie's computer and the next he's wondering if his close friend was even alive. Maybe that moment that they shared in the arcade, was a sign. The eye of the storm if you will. The last possible moment of happiness and joy that he will experience before it would all be cruelly yanked from his grasp. The last possible moment when he would see Yumi...No, he couldn't think like that. Yumi was always so strong even when she stared death in the eye. He had to think positive, for her sake and his own. 

Ulrich ran at the scanner that Yumi was in and almost pried the doors open himself with his bear hands. The sliding door gave way and Yumi fell out of the scanner and into Ulrich's arms.

"Yumi! Can you hear me?" The boy pleaded as he held the motionless girl close to his body before gently lowering himself to the floor as holding Yumi in his current position proved to be a very physically taxing task.

Yumi's body began to stir and delighted Ulrich with its movements. The girl slowly opened her eyes and took a couple seconds to fully realize that she was being held and promptly stood up wearing a dark red blush on his cheeks.

Yumi's reaction to Ulrich's embrace lead Jeremie to believe that her current physical state was the result of fatigue from being in Lyoko for so long rather than the hornet harming her in anyway. This conclusion prove to be a huge relief for Jeremie and the others.

"We were worried about you" Jeremie said with a smile on his face. "We thought you would have been seriously hurt since that hornet managed to wipe out all your life points."

The girl had yet to recover from her stay in Lyoko as she spoke to Jeremie in-between labored breaths. "I feel fine, but why would you make such a fuss?"

"We had reason to believe that the hornet that attack you was modified by XANA in some way and since you were it's victim, we thought that you were in some serious danger."

"Thanks for worrying about me but I feel fine."

"What about Aelita?"

The last thing I saw before I was hit was Aelita preparing to enter the tower and then it all black from there."

"I'm sure Jin has taken care of it and you're little princess is resting safe and sound away from that nasty XANA." Odd said playfully.

Jeremie chose not to comment on Odd's latest wise crack and continued his discussion with Yumi. "If that's the case then I better devirtualize Jin now or else he'll be stuck on Lyoko."

As Jeremie turned around to walk to the elevator he heard another mechanical hiss from the scanner that Jin was in.

"What the?"

Jin casually stepped out of the cylinder tube with his eyes closed and was rubbing them with the back of his right fist. He yawned and stretched his arms out and looked as if he just got out bed rather than a fierce battle. That image was soon broken as Jin stopped acting like he was alright and leaned against the scanner in an attempt to catch his breath.

"Jin?" Jeremie asked in a puzzled tone of voice.

"Yeah it's me. Don't worry man, Aelita got to the tower without being blasted by that hornet, the same can't be said for me though."

Jin kept his eyes shut and rubbed them as if he were trying to get rid of a minor irritation from it. He then opened them in expectation of seeing all of his friends standing in front of him but was only greeted with blackness.

"Hey Jeremie. Something is up with the lights in this place. I can't see a thing."

Ulrich, Odd, Yumi and Jeremie looked at Jin with their jaws hanging open out of shock. Staring right back at them were two blank white orbs in Jin's eye sockets. Though his expression and mannerisms hadn't change, Jin's eyes made him look dead to the world and a mere ghost of his former self.

"Yo Jeremie, can you hear me? I said I need a light down here. How am I suppose to get to the elevator if I can't even see two inches in front of me. Man, who knew this place could get so dark down here."

The others exchanged uneasy glances amongst each other. Jin had to know the truth, that was the universal truth that everyone agree upon. However, they didn't know who should tell him this for they knew this newfound information would only crush the boy's spirits. Yumi summoned enough courage inside herself to tell her brother what's going on.

"Jin," Yumi said nervously.

"You're here too? Man can you believe how dark this place is?"

"Aniki, I can see perfectly down here. I don't know how else to tell you this but...," Yumi struggled through her statement to find the right way to articulate her words. "You're eyes don't have pupils in them and are completely white. Something must have happened to you on Lyoko for you to lose your sight like this."

At first Jin denied his sister's explanation out of fear that it might be the truth. He allowed a forced laugh to escape his lips and put on an uneasy smile.

"Funny sis. Haze the new guy huh? Ok everyone, bust out the confetti and silly string, and tell me that I'm on Candid Camera."

"Jin, I'm not joking. This is serious."

The voice in the back of Jin's mind that told him his sister's words were genuine was finally being heeded. Jin staggered backwards into a wall and slumped his tired body to the floor.

"Are you saying that..."

"Yes Jin. You're blind."

Yumi, placed her hands over her mouth. She almost reviled how blunt and uncaring she sounded however, Jin's reaction was more drastic. The victim of this tragic turn of events bowed his head in shame and tried his best to hold up the tears that were welling up in his blank white eyeballs. The amount of energy that was required for him to hold his sadness inside was overwhelming as caused Jin to collapse to the floor in a tired heap. Yumi wrapped a protective arm around her brother's shoulder and so did the other boys to show Jin that they did care about his loss. However, what they didn't know was on that day Jin wasn't sadden solely because of his blindness. Jin almost wept because we could no longer uphold the oath he promised himself two years ago.

Seeing her brother in his present condition troubled Yumi to no end. She would have never imagined that someone so close to her would experience such hardship. As she saw Jin slowly come to his senses, there was one thought in her mind that forcibly escaped the realms of her subconscious and into the world of the living in the form of a simple, quiet whisper.

"This is all my fault."

TO BE CONTINUED

* * *

**Wishful Thinking**

Same as before. Please visit my website and send your auditions in ASAP! Also, I'm looking for more people who are willing to submit fanart for my story. If you can draw and are willing to do a picture for me please e-mail me. I will be eternally grateful if you did so. Speaking of auditions I still desperately need an Odd, Jeremie and Ulrich. Yumi I have a few good auditions but I haven't made my final choice. As for Clayton, he's not that important right now but feel free to audition for him as well.

* * *

**Author Response**

**Fantasyworld:** I'm flattered that you tried to print my stories out on your computer. It's readers like you who I always strive for to impress.

**Palantiri and thespian86:** Thanks for the corrections. I'm be implementing them shortly,

**Leafwood:** Don't worry about Jin stealing the spotlight as I'm trying my best to tone down the amount of screen time he's getting and I hope my efforts are paying off.

**sfldjaskd:** I appreciate your enthusiasm of suggesting a new character but I believe that having three ACC's is enough for my fic. Thanks for the suggestion though.

**Yumi-Lover:** I hope if you get this far you still won't think that Jin is invincible as many of his faults and shortcomings appear in those chapters.

**W.W.W. 147:** Thanks for all your reviews and your patience in reading my story, that means a lot for me. I know reading my fic is no easy task but I'm glad you both took to time to read this and sign my guestbook on my website.

**Little Villi: **Great to hear from you. I guess I should be flattered that you're reviewing my material despite the fact you have yet to finish the entire series yet. Keep on writing and good luck with your new fic and don't forget I'm always willing to help out a fellow writer.

**Xiao Zang Hou: **Ah my first REAL negative review. I can't force you to like my story and that's fine by me. I'm just glad you hated my fic and told me why you felt that way instead of just flaming me.

**LEGENDlyoko: **Of course I'll do all the episodes. It won't be much of a Retelling otherwise.

* * *

**Outtakes**

A digital scoreboard hung above it and displayed two zeros showing that the board was empty. It was here that Yumi got an idea.

"Hey Ulrich. Up for a game of air hockey?"

"You bet!"

"You know how to play right?"

"Of course Yumi." Ulrich said half offended. "What kind of idiot doesn't know how to play air hockey?"

"Nice"

Yumi and Ulrich got on opposite sides of the table and picked up their mallets. It was at this moment that Ulrich became confused.

"So who's banker?"

"What?!"

"You heard me. Who gets to be the banker. I want to make sure I get enough money so I can buy Boardwalk and Park Place."

"Ulrich, this is air hockey."

"Huh? Then what game am I thinking of?"

"That's Monopoly."

"Really? If that's Monopoly then what's the game where you ask someone if they have a specific card."

"That's Go Fish"

"Really then what's air hockey."

"A game where you try to hit the puck in your opponents goal."

"OooooOO....I have no idea what you're talking about Yumi."

Yumi wished she was in Ranma ½ or any other comedy anime so that she could knock some sense into her dim witted friend with a giant wooden hammer. However, the hokey table would make a nice substitute.

POW!

It took emergency teams a total of three hours to safely remove the boy from underneath the massive piece of arcade machinery.

* * *

"Well maybe we should have some sort of penalty for the loser." Odd suggested with a Devilish grin on his face. 

"Penalty?" Ulrich repeated in a confused tone of voice. "What are you talking about?"

"The loser of this game has to kiss the winner."

"WHAT?!" The other three teenagers said loudly in unison.

"Uh huh. What do you say?"

Jin was the first one to notice the fatal flaw in Odd's scheme.

"Umm Odd....didn't you take the mallet away from Yumi since you wanted to play so badly."

"Yeah and?"

"So technically if you lose, you would have to kiss Ulrich and that wouldn't be good for our rating."

"Rating?"

Jin released a sigh of despair and pointed to the top left hand corner of the tv screen where a black box with white writing was being displayed.

"You see that Odd? Our program is rated Y-7 meaning it's meant for kids seven and up."

"Damn Cartoon Network" Odd muttered underneath his breath. "First they kick us off Miguzi and now they're trying to censor our program. Man, all I wanted to do was..."

THIS OUTTAKE HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED COURTESY OF THE ODD IS NOT GAY MOVEMENT (O.N.G.M.). WE AT O.N.G.M ARE DEDICATED TO SHOW THE WORLD HOW MUCH OF A LADY KILLER ODD REALLY IS AND WILL BE PUNISHING THE CREATOR OF THIS SIDE STORY. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. WE NOW RETURN TO YOU YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULE PROGRAM.

Odd and the rest of the group watched various members of the O.N.G.M began beat the living daylights of G-Force 4 for disgracing their favorite character.

"Hard to believe huh?" Yumi said off handily.

"Yeah I know. Odd has his own fan club. Go figure." Ulrich said dryly.

"Not that. I mean it's hard to believe that one man's arm could bend that far backwards without snapping in two."

CRACK!

"AHHH!" The tortured author screamed.

"I spoke too soon. Looks like that arm broke after all."

"MY ARM! I NEED THAT FOR...ARM...RELATED...STUFF...YEAH," the author pleaded.

The O.N.G.M soon left the arcade as quickly as they came leaving behind various confused looks and one broken body of a certain fanfic author.

"I wonder if Jin has days like this?"

* * *

"Jin, I'm not joking. This is serious." 

The voice in the back of Jin's mind that told him his sister's words were genuine was finally being headed. He staggered backwards into a wall and slumped his tired body to the floor.

"Are you saying that..."

"Yes Jin. You're blind."

Unfortunately for Jin, Odd didn't share Yumi's sense of sincerity.

"Wow Jin, did you get attacked in your _blind spot_?"

"Shut it Odd"

"Why are you mad? You_ saw_ that coming right?"

"Not funny."

"You know what? Now you're just like Stevie Wonder. Except that you don't have dreadlocks and you can't play the piano."

"Enough with the blind jokes already!"

Jin swung his fist through the air but missed Odd completely.

"Watch it man. You could put someone's eye out. Or in your case, just_ your pupils_."

"Why me?"

* * *

Time for some fan outtake goodness. This segment is brought to you by Moguera and it's from the infamous dance battle scene between Jin and Odd in "End of Take." 

**Jin's backflip: Take 1**

Odd got into a pushup position and began spinning on both his shoulders with his legs in a V position performing a common breakdance maneuver called the windmill. Jin responded kindly by doing a single-arm handstand and spinning on the palm of his right arm before landing on his feet and jumping in the air throwing all his weight behind him. The crowd watched Jin's attempt at the backflip as his body was now perfectly perpendicular to the ground. Jin looked at the students watching him and saw a familiar green outline in his vision.

"Hey it's Ulrich!" Jin exclaimed in mid-flip happy to see that his friend made it back from Finson with news to report. Then, to the shock and amazement of everyone watching, Jin successfully completed his backflip. The other students looked on in awe.

"I think the balance of power in the Universe has just been shifted," said Jeremie.

Jin spun around to face Ulrich but abruptly tripped over his shoe laces which had become miraculously untied during his backflip, which sent him slamming face first into the ground.

"And the balance is restored," said Jeremie with a satisfied sigh.

* * *

**Jin's backflip: Take 2**

Odd got into a pushup position and began spinning on both his shoulders with his legs in a V position performing a common breakdance maneuver called the windmill. Jin responded kindly by doing a single-arm handstand and spinning on the palm of his right arm before landing on his feet and jumping in the air throwing all his weight behind him. The crowd watched Jin's attempt at the backflip as his body was now perfectly perpendicular to the ground. Jin looked at the students watching him and saw a familiar green outline in his vision.

"Hey it's Ulrich!" Jin exclaimed in mid-flip happy to see that his friend made it back from Finson with news to report. However, Jin forgot that he was in the middle of a backflip.

"Uh, guys…A little help here!" Cried Jin frantically, realizing that he was stuck two feet off the ground, upside down.

"I don't know about you guys," said Odd, "But I think I like him this way."

* * *

**Jin's backflip: Take 3**

Odd got into a pushup position and began spinning on both his shoulders with his legs in a V position performing a common breakdance maneuver called the windmill. Jin responded kindly by doing a single-arm handstand and spinning on the palm of his right arm before landing on his feet and jumping in the air throwing all his weight behind him. The crowd watched Jin's attempt at the backflip as his body was now perfectly perpendicular to the ground. Jin looked at the students watching him and saw a familiar green outline in his vision.

"Hey it's Ulrich!" Jin exclaimed in mid-flip happy to see that his friend made it back from Finson with news to report. Then, to the shock and amazement of all who were watching, Jin successfully completed his backflip.

Jin laughed madly.

"And you all thought I was just a stupid klutz! But now you know I'm the King of Cool!" He began to strut off proudly, but his movement was hindered when he tripped over Odd's extended foot and plowed face first into the ground.

"Good job Odd," said Yumi, "I was afraid he might've done something right for a change."

"I couldn't help it," said Odd, looking at his foot dumbfounded, "It was like some kind of primal urge or something."

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter**

Ok people pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese don't kill me. I know that you've been waiting for this new chapter for ages and I just had to give you a cliffhanger ending. To tell you the truth, I did not intend on having a two part episode but since that one Lyoko battle took up about fifty pages I thought that I should split it up so that I don't have one really long chapter. But then again Code: Earth and False Start were two part episodes so the concept in not foreign to Code Lyoko.

When I first thought of Code Lyoko: A Retelling, I came across two different problems. First, I had to introduce Jin into the series for I thought it would be weird for him to be "always there" as opposed to being transferred that way I could develop a back story for him. My next problem was that I had to think of an episode where he falls victim to a XANA attack. That danger is shoved him his face and he's not just throwing himself in harms way like he's done in the past. When I first started Teddygodzilla, I've been thinking of this chapter in my head, how and why certain events would happen. I've tried my best to come up with an episode quality story that would be a roller coaster ride of emotions and expectations. I've poured my heart into creating, and writing this story and I hope my efforts do indeed pay off and you've enjoyed the chapter so far.

To tell you the truth, I'm a bit disappointed on how Marksman turned out since it's just one giant Lyoko battle. I mean, action is good but if that's all you have then you essentially have nothing to offer the reading public in terms of substance. I also inserted as much character development and interaction in this chapter as I could to balance it out. The Yumi and Ulrich fluff not to mention Odd's wide assortment of practical jokes really added more depth into the episode and improved its quality overall rather than just having a bunch of fighting going on. However several scenes that were crucial to the story played out fine now all you gotta do is find out what those scenes were.

In terms of fighting, I think I have just written the longest Lyoko sequence in Code Lyoko fanfiction history. I wanted to create an elaborate battle that really showed the characters working together and not playing "hero" and killing monsters left and right. This chapter also demonstrates how useful Jin's character is in team situations but how easily he can be defeated if he's left alone.

Yumi fans please don't yell at me for giving her a B on the threat rating. i didn't put that there because I think Yumi is weak on Lyoko. I was just using the facts that the show provides. If you recall, Yumi's Lyoko track record isn't so hot. She misses a lot of her shots and does not have the insanely high kill total as Ulrich and Odd do. Even though she has a B I will would be shaking in my boots if I had to face off against her in Lyoko.

There are a lot of unanswered questions in Marksman that will be addressed in the following chapter which I am really excited about. The next installment of the Retelling Series will allow you the see the actual repercussions of Jin's blindness and also how the Lyoko team deal's with the tragic event as a whole. This was my first attempt to write a REAL original episode. Deja Vu's Recruit will always be episode 1.5 since it really didn't have a conflict and just showed Jin's induction into the Lyoko team. Also I did my best to balance out the characters as well. Even though Jin was the victim here, he didn't get anymore screen time as the regular cast. Thinking of the actual attack was one of the hardest parts in this chapter as I tried to shoot for something that would original in the realm of Code Lyoko fanfiction writing. I know essentially I was using a similar presence as Routine and I'm perfectly ok with that. The attack's effects are dratically different and this chapter is more of a warm up to that episode.

I thought it would be pretty funny to have the chapter begin in an arcade. I wanted to write a scene where kids got to act like kids and not as heroes with this overwhelming burden on their shoulders. I felt that it was somewhat important to have Jin be a frequent arcade visitor as he needs a forming of practice for fights in Lyoko. If you haven't figured it out now, I am a huge video game player and I enjoy fighting games the most. Street Fighter, Tekken, Soul Caliber and Guilty Gear X are my favorite games in the genere. The Psycho Crusher is a special attack performed by a Street Fighter character named M. Bision and that was my homage to the series. Plus I have done a Psycho Crusher in real life, but it's really hard to perfect.

Anybody here read "Behind Closed Hearts" by Trillinka? If you have I've bet you noticed a certain set of familiar characters gracing Tia's chapters. Yep, Jin, Dirk and Clayton are all guest staring in Tia's monster fic and I'm honored that she's willing to use them for her story. And for those people who haven't read it, go do so now! (After you leave a review for me of course.)

Hope you liked my original work and you don't hate me for giving you a cliff hanger ending. Remember, whatever questions you have now (story wise) will most likely be answered in the next chapter so be on the look out for it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review for as you can see, they mean a lot to me. Thanks to you guys, the Retelliing series has reached SEVERAL milestones.

-Over one-hundred reviews  
-Over 3000 hits on the website  
-Episode numbers have reached the double digits  
-200,000 word mark has been surpassed

I have all of you to thank for this. I would have never gone this far and worked so hard if it wasn't for your continuing support. You have my deepest thanks and my undying determination to finish the series that I've started.


	14. Episode 11: Second Sight

**Disclaimer**

I only own Dirk, Clayton and Jin everyone else belongs to Antefilms and Moonscope (like the entire show.)

**Special Thanks**

If you're still reading this and have forgiven me for writing a cliffhanger then this chapter goes out to you.

* * *

Original Episode 11: Second Sight 

ACCESSING RECORDS

SEARCHING

FILE FOUND

BATTLE REPORT-

Combat Summery-

Units one, two, three and four were stationed near tower. Approximately fifteen minutes after tower's activation Red, Yellow and Purple were spotted running toward the tunnel near the land bridge's entrance which was where Pink was hiding also. White appeared roughly three minutes prior to previous sighting. Upon orders, units did not engage enemy hastily and instead opted to remain stationary thus giving off the illusion of our ignorance. White was soon seen outside in what appeared to be a reconnaissance mission. Units were then ordered to attack and managed to injure White and dislodge his sunglasses from his possession. Targets were then pinned down in the cave before they relocated to the two boulders on the pathway. Unit two and three were destroyed in the process. One boulder was moved to the opposite end which signaled White and Pink to move. Reenforcements arrived shortly after and damaged the two oncoming intruders. All five units were later disposed of through the combined efforts of Yellow, Purple thus allowing the second phase of the plan to be executed. An additional five units surrounded the targets and extinguished Yellow and Purple's remaining life points forcing the other enemies to flee. Units did not pursue targets any further.

Mission Accomplished

* * *

Jeremie watched his four other friends drag their tired bodies to the freight elevator. This was a dark day in their fight against XANA indeed. For the first time ever since their secretive conflict began, they had _lost _a battle in Lyoko. 

To put it lightly, their latest encounter with the computer program was intense. XANA had selected the perfect counter strategy to guard his tower with and was able to overcome the group's combined strengths. Odd's agility, Ulrich's speed, Yumi's strategy and Jin's firepower were all easily trumped and could not prevent XANA from winning in the end. Jeremie pressed the elevator's red button that triggered its accent and listened to the gears twist and gyrate as those were the only things that could be heard. No one dared to utter a single word that would remind the others about their humiliating loss and chose to remain silent as if to lament over their own personal shortcomings. The elevator's doors opened and granted passageway to the factory's computer room where everyone converged in one area. It was at that moment that Jeremie faced his battle-weary companions for the first time. His four friends were both emotionally and physically taxed and their fatigue was began to surface. Ulrich rested his right shoulder against a nearby wall and tried his best to stand upright but found himself lacking the strength to do the simple activity. Odd sat on the floor with his head bowed down slightly and was on the verge of collapsing on the computer room's floor. Then his eyes came across the two oldest members of the group. Yumi and Jin showed the most paramount signs of exhaustion seeing that the were the last two people to leave Lyoko before Aelita entered the tower. Yumi's walking pace was labored due to having her brother's body leaning almost completely on her for support. Jin's head was still bowed in shame as he looked at the floor with his cold blank eyes.

Jeremie needed to know what exactly happened on Lyoko during those frantic moments when the modified hornet entered his scanner's field of detection. Although he was desperate for these answers and was eager to consume every tidbit of knowledge that his friends would be willing to reveal, his conscience forced him to quell this desire. The others were dead tired and now would not be the most wise of times to have them relieve their painful loss. Jeremie watched Odd slowly turn his head towards him before he gathered enough strength to stand upright.

"So Einstein," the purple clad boy said in-between breaths. "What do we do now?"

"Just go home and rest. We'll talk about the XANA attack tomorrow when we're all refreshed."

Jeremie didn't see the small look of relief that was painted on Odd's face for he was secretly desiring that answer. However, Ulrich wasn't ready to call it a day just yet.

"Come one Jeremie. There's gotta be something we can do right now."

"What's there to say Ulrich? We have Aelita nursing her wounds. An activated tower that's still operational. And worst of all, Jin is now blind! What's more for me to say? We all lose sometimes!"

Jeremie's sudden outburst caught the rest of the group by surprise. Never before had they seen the boy so riled up. However, Jeremie had every right to be angry. They all were, it was just that he was the only one who wasn't consumed with sadness to actually express it. Jeremie too noticed the flux of emotions that he was venting out and took a few moments to calm himself down before speaking again.

"Sorry about that Ulrich. It's just that today was pretty hard on all of us. Until I know exactly what happened back there we can't come up with a decent counter plan to solve this problem. We should just rest up and take it from there."

Ulrich's sigh was the only indicator that he revealed that showed his acknowledgment in Jeremie's words. He then turned to face Yumi and Jin who were completely silent during the entire conversation.

"I'll help you walk Jin home," the boy offered, hoping he could do at least one competent deed before the day's end.

"Thanks," came Yumi's almost silent reply. Getting her brother home safely was her prime objective at the moment and she was grateful for Ulrich's assistance.

The five teenagers boarded the freight elevator for their return trip to the surface only to go on their separate ways not knowing what they would encounter the next day.

* * *

"XANA can rot in Hell for all I care," Jin muttered underneath his breath. That was the first time the Japanese boy spoke ever since his emotional breakdown in the scanner room. 

"I don't think XANA can go to Hell since he's a computer program and all," Yumi replied in a jokingly manner. Although she tried to sound cheery even to go as far as to release a small chuckle, the effort sounded forced and unnatural.

Currently Jin's arms were draped over Yumi and Ulrich's shoulders as if he had just injured his legs in an undisclosed accident. This was done as a clever means to disguise their guidance for their blind friend.

Ulrich too was silent during the walk home. Seeing the awkward situation that Yumi had placed herself in, he jumped into the conversation as to help the girl out. He opted for a change of subject as to drive it in a less painful direction. Too bad Ulrich over-steered the new topic into an area that was even more unbearable to discuss.

"So what do you suppose happened in Lyoko just a while ago?"

Jin tilted his head up as if he were to look at the evening sky that had draped over them. The chilly night air and the soft footsteps he could hear along with the traffic ambiance that surrounded him were the only companions he had in his dark world.

"As much as I_ love _to discuss how we got our behinds handed to us. I prefer to just rest now. Thank you very much."

Jin's sense of humor grew darker as he walked home with Yumi and Ulrich. His words were a lot sharper, slicing through the seeming innocent question leaving only ribbons behind while the others stood quietly to gawk at the savage tone his speech took.

No more attempts of further conversation came from the teenagers' mouths after that. Somehow, they managed to find themselves in front of the Ishiyama household and were relieved that the day was finally coming to an end.

"We're here," came Yumi's statement. She then turned to Ulrich and waved to him goodbye. "Thanks for you help Ulrich. I'll take it from here. I hope Jeremie can sort out this mess."

Ulrich nodded in agreement. "I hope so too. See you later guys."

Ulrich mentally kicked himself for his insensitive wording his sentence had. Not wanting to hurt his older friend anymore, he quickly made an about face and walked straight back to Kadic Junior High. If he were to stay just five minutes longer, then he would have seen the look of guilt that was plastered across the features of Yumi's face.

* * *

Unlike Yumi and Jin, Jeremie had no intentions of ending his day. Although he was dressed for bed, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He frantically hacked away at his keyboard trying his best to sort out the muddled events that occurred in Lyoko. If he was going to fix this problem, he first had to find out what exactly happened. Jeremie activated his scanner program and stared a hole through the activated tower that was on screen. The glowing red structure stood as a testament of XANA's temporary victory. A trophy of his latest triumph. A triumph that Jeremie vowed to squash. 

First things first. He had to get his thoughts in line. Thwarting XANA's latest attack ranked high on his to do list but if his matter of thinking stayed just as jumbled as the day's events then making any sort of headway in the uncovering its secrets would be downright impossible. Jeremie decided to just mentally go over what happened in Lyoko in his head. Maybe if he remembered what happened in general he can dive into the specifics of the situation later. That made him think about the retreat. If he was only quicker in the devirtualizing process, maybe Jin would have never been blinded in the first place.

Wait a second!

That was it. Jin was the only person who was not removed from Lyoko by XANA's monsters. Ulrich and Odd were eliminated after being hit by an ice cannon while a hornet spelled doom for Yumi. Jin was intentionally isolated from his friends and thus fell victim to whatever cruel fate XANA had in store for him. It was now apparently obvious that the activated tower was directly linked to the transfer error that first beset the warriors as they entered the virtual world. Now he just had to keep combing through the information to find answers for the rest of questions that were just begging for a response.

The first question that popped into Jeremie's mind was why. Why, out of all the people in Lyoko, was Jin blinded? If there was anything that XANA had shown in his previous encounters was that he was everything but random. XANA always selected his targets with pinpoint precision and would never leave a stone unturned in his conquest against the human race. This conundrum proved to be harder to answer than it initially seemed. Jin was the most inexperienced member in the Lyoko group not to mention arguably the weakest. Unlike the others, Jin is unable to engage in direct combat with his enemies for he would easily be overpowered. This fact made Jeremie think deeper into the further recesses of his mind to find some sort of conclusion for this riddle.

The characters that Jeremie's friends use while on Lyoko were all created with special abilities and strengths that complimented the rest of the group as a whole. Ulrich's character was powerful, plain and simple. Which gave him the luxury of attacking several monsters at once only to emerge victorious in the end. However, he still has trouble dealing with enemies attacking from long range. Odd was blessed with increased speed and agility allowing him to dart to and fro between places leaving his adversaries in the dust wondering what just happened. This made him ideal for rescuing Aelita from even the most precarious situations though he did not excel in melee combat in a similar fashion. Yumi's character forced her to play a defensive role. Blocking incoming laser beams with her fan while keeping all her friends safe. Of course she had to be methodical with her fan tosses as they would leave her wide open for any attack that her opponents had up their sleeves . Then there was Jin. The gunner who was meant as a prime source of distraction using an assortment of acrobatic moves that would normally be seen in a Hong Kong action flick. Despite his in-depth thinking, Jeremie still had yet to uncover XANA's motive for blinding Jin.

If he was XANA, who would he choose to be blind? His target would not be his most dangerous threat but the person who would be the most helpless without their sight. XANA understood the group's dynamic and knew the fact that if one person is "removed from the game" if you will, then the rest will fall with ease. Now with a logical train of thought in motion, Jeremie then proceeded to analyze ways that the other potential victims would overcome this handicap. He first though of Yumi as she had been the brunt of XANA's most recent attacks as of lately. If Yumi could no longer see yet was forced to fight in Lyoko, she would most likely stay in front of Aelita with her weapon drawn and hold it in front of her. Not to mention the use of her telekinetic powers allowed her to move objects without her watching them. She did close her eyes after all. Next was Odd. Even though he did use a projectile weapon, Jeremie figured out that even blinded he would still be of some use to the team. Odd's clairvoyant sixth sense made him the ideal candidate in spotting potential traps and enemy ambushes and seeing how he watches them through his mind's eye and not the actual eyeballs in his head, not having pupils would leave this ability unhindered. Ulrich's power would also enable him to step over this shortcoming as he could merely send his clones to fight for him. For a brief moment Jeremie considered Aelita as a possibility but the simple fact that she could regenerate her life points inside a tower made him believe that this same process could also cure any ailments that afflicted her. Again, Jeremie's final thoughts rested on Jin and then it hit him. Without his eyes, Jin was essentially worthless. Just when he reached the threshold of his discovery, Jeremie was paid yet another surprise visit from Aelita.

"Is everything there okay?" The virtual girl asked with a worrisome expression on her face.

"Well not everything," Jeremie said with an equally gloomy look. "XANA has found some way to make Jin blind."

Jeremie watched Aelita place both of her hands across her mouth in a feeble attempt to hide her shock. She was completely unaware that something so horrible could happen to one of her friends. Jeremie was about to say some comforting words to the girl but stopped short when he noticed a small blip where the activated tower was. Not wasting a second, he clicked on the strange looking dot only to receive more information about Jin's character.

"No way!" Jeremie said out loud. "According to the scans I ran across the area, Jin is still virtulaized!" It only took the boy a while to figure out what was going on. "That means his sight is still in Lyoko!"

Although Aelita knew the ins and outs of her virtual homeland, she was still clueless when it came to the characters that her friends used to combat XANA.

"What do you exactly mean Jeremie?"

Jeremie took in a deep breath knowing that he was about to give a long explanation. "It's like this Aelita. Remember when we talked about the five senses of the human body? Back when we first thought you were going to be materialized."

"I do recall that conversation."

"Well, when humans are virtualized they still have use of their senses. Since Lyoko is one giant virtual world, everything that resides inside of it is essentially a computer program. The characters our friends use run in a similar manner as almost every aspect of them is controlled by a different set of codes. There's a program for their sight, hearing and so forth. Essentially, XANA had found some way of stealing the coding that dictated Jin's sight and is holding it hostage in that activated tower."

"Do you have any idea what he has planned for it?"

"Aside from keeping the guy in the dark, if you will. I haven't the foggiest. Though I am somewhat relieved that I have some means of monitoring Jin's eyesight."

"I take it that if we deactivate the tower then we'll restore Jin's vision."

"That is correct but I'm really worried about entering Lyoko right now. We don't know what exactly happened back there and if we get too careless we can have another friend lose their vision as well. Not to mention the fact that there was a transfer error in the vitalization process."

"Do you think the error had something to do with the XANA attack?"

"I honestly do not know. If that's the case then Yumi, Ulrich and Odd should have had similar problems but they're fine."

Jeremie banged his fist against his desk and shook his head from side to side.

"None of this makes sense! What the heck is going on here!"

Aelita's mood changed from fear to a more compassionate look.

"Jeremie, I think you should get some rest now."

"How can I rest when we have this massive problem on our hands? Our friends are in trouble and I'm the only one here who can solve it."

Aelita knew that Jeremie was angrier with himself than at her for giving him that suggestion. She continued with her aid, hoping that she could put the boy at ease.

"Listen to me Jeremie. From what observations I've gathered from your world by watching you, sleep is essential. If you continue at this inhuman pace, you'll make a mistake that you'll regret. Even though I don't need to sleep I do find myself feeling fatigue from time to time and I could not think straight until I stopped and rest which is one of the reasons why I meditate in Lyoko. What I'm saying here is if you truly care about your friends, then you'll make sure you come to the correct answer in this conundrum and not to a snap decision."

Aelita's gentle words were soothing to Jeremie's ears. No longer was he the tight bundle of nerves that left the factory's doors a few hours ago as he was now reduced to a state of sheer tranquility. Aelita was always able to quell whatever emotional storm that he would be caught by utter a few well timed lines. Jeremie couldn't help but smile after hearing the sound of her voice.

"Perhaps you're right. There is only so much one can do within that span of a day and after this we all need to rest."

Aelita watched the tired boy crawl into the single bed that was in his dorm. Soon she realized that this was indeed the earliest time that Jeremie has slept in quiet a while. The pink haired girl took a brief moment to relish in her minor accomplishment but was soon overcome by a sense of warmth from within. The simple sight of Jeremie going to bed made her feel acknowledged. She had never been this attached to another living soul which only made her home feel even more like a prison. This indeed was a reality that she yearned to be a part of, company she longed to be with. The girl watched Jeremie's sleeping form as his bed sheets raised and lowered that went along with the sound of him breathing. Aelita softly smiled to herself before disconnecting from Jeremie's computer, anticipating the next time she could feel such serenity within herself.

* * *

Sunlight bled through Jin's curtains and slowly crept along the walls of his room using the walls as its canvas radiating a warm yellow hue for the sleeping boy to bask in. He opened his heavy eyelids to escape the darkness of his slumber only to be welcomed by the darkness of his reality. Miraculously he had avoided the sharp eyes of his parents the night before by having his sister tell them that he wasn't feeling well and that he was going to bed early. Of course, further assistance from Yumi was still required in order for him to select the proper attire but he would try his best to stray away from asking for her help anymore. Slowly he sat up and rubbed one of the two white orbs that were lodged into his eye sockets before hearing a familiar voice great him. 

"How you feeling Jin?" Came a concerned voice belonging to a young female.

"Well aside from the fact I can't see, I'm alright," Jin said with a smile of his face. Sleep had done little in the restoration of his eyesight but it did help in brightening his mood a bit.

"That's good to hear," the girl replied slightly relieved.

Yumi averted her eyes from Jin's gaze for looking into his blank eyeballs for it caused her guilt to swell up in the pit of her stomach. Instead, she focused on the bundle of clothes that she was currently holding which comprised her brother's traditional school outfit.

"Here," Yumi said as she threw the clothes onto Jin's bed. "You better get dressed now or else we'll be late."

"One slight problem sis."

Yumi expected Jin to point out the obvious. "Your eyes. I know."

"I can't walk around with my eyelids closed or else everybody will think I'm unconscious and I'll get sent to the infirmary which ranks pretty low on my "Things that I want to happen to me" list."

Yumi closed her eyes to seclude herself in thought before she came up with a reasonable solution. "You can always wear sunglasses."

Jin's smile grew even wider after hearing his sister's suggestion. "Great idea sis. Good thing I have a pair. Just check the bottom left drawer of my dresser."

Yumi followed her brother's instructions and fetched the black case that contained the boy's sunglasses.

"Found them," Yumi said as she gently tossed the case into the pile of clothes that she previously left on Jin's bed. "We should go down stairs to get something to eat now."

"I'm not hungry," Jin answered dryly.

"But Jin, you didn't have dinner last night," Yumi protested.

"I said I'm not hungry," Jin said sharply, allowing his speech to darken.

Yumi knew that it was useless to argue with Jin once he made up his mind and decided to just drop the issue all together.

"I'll leave you alone to get ready then," and with that said she left her brother's presence.

Jin slid off the side of his bed and felt around the covers to locate the items his sister handed to him. He had no trouble navigating his room as he had done so many a time before in the dark and memorized the layout by heart. His hands soon brush against his night stand and over the bottons of his trusty CD player. Knowing that he was going to relay heavily on his sense of hearing for a while, he didn't want to do anything that could dull this ability. Jin drew his hand away from the piece of machinery and back onto the pile of clothes on his bed sheet.

"Not today," the Japanese boy muttered softly to himself before getting ready for school.

* * *

Yumi sat alone at the household's kitchen table eating the small breakfast she prepared for herself. The two siblings had managed to wake themselves up early which was all done in an effort to avoid Jin coming face to face with their parents and having his secret uncovered. Her mind was not focused on the meal she was digesting for it warped itself around the extra burden she would have to carry. It was her fault that Jin was now blind and if anything bad happens to him today or if his secret would be revealed, she would take the brunt of the blame. Jin was underneath her protective custody until Jeremie could find a way to cure him of his blindness. 

The slow and plodding footsteps that creaked from the house's staircase drove Yumi's mind back into the confines of her skull and reminded her that she was still home. The girl crept to the area that the sound was coming from and saw Jin carefully descend to the floor below him step by step. His right hand gripped the banister for support as his left hand pressed against the wall near him to further help the boy get his bearings. Yumi was about to offer her help but quickly retracted her decision knowing full well that Jin would protest. Seeing that she was no longer needed, the girl made her way back to the kitchen to wash the dishes she used. A few small footsteps the only warnings Yumi had of her mother entering the room.

"Good morning Yumi. My, you're up early," her mom said in slight amusement.

"Morning to you too," Yumi answered with a smile on her face. "Aniki and I were about to leave for school a little bit early today." Yumi's reply was rehearsed as this was the excuse she planed to use incase she had a run in with her parents during this crucial time.

"Well it must be important so I should let you go. Where's Jin? He should be downstairs also or else he'll be left behind. I'll go get him for you."

"Crud," Yumi whispered to herself. This is the exact scenario that she _didn't_ want. If her mom saw Jin's eyes then...she didn't want to think of the consequences but Jin was able to stop this by speaking of his location.

"I'm near the door mom."

Yumi stepped out from behind her mother and saw Jin standing with his back pressed on the wall within close proximity of the door frame. He somehow was able to navigate down the staircase to the front entrance of the house. It was also at this moment that Yumi noticed that Jin had heeded her advice and was wearing his sunglasses as to hide his condition from prying eyes.

"You were always the light sleeper Jin," Mrs. Ishiyama commented, remembering the boy's unique sleeping habits.

Suddenly three loud rasps came from the Ishiyama's front door putting everyone in the household at a modest state of confusion. Being the closest to the door, Jin slowly made his way to the doorknob and prepared to face the rest of the world that lay beyond his doorstep.

* * *

Odd stretched his arms high above his head and let out a low yawn. He didn't bother to cover his wide open mouth as he was more concerned with his own personal comfort rather than politeness. Due to the his sleepiness, Odd was unable to realize that his right hand came dangerously close to smacking Jeremie on the side of his head. 

"Watch out!" Jeremie yelled as he watched the appendage fly in the general vicinity of his skull.

Odd soon let out another yawn before justifying his actions.

"Sorry Einstein, I'm just not used to getting up this early." The tired boy droned. " So why are we here again?"

Jeremie was almost driven to the point of smacking himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand but dismissed that notion to save himself the pain.

"Geez Odd, I don't know whether to attribute that question to either short term memory or lack of sleep. Though I'm a little skeptical of the second guess since you're always the last one to wake up in the morning."

"Let's not forget about his daily naps during physics, English and history class as well," Ulrich interjected.

Odd was surprised by Ulrich's witty comeback which was a rare event in itself. "Well...I...ah be quiet."

Ulrich chuckled to himself to relished his small victory in the impromptu verbal spare. He was about to re-explain why the group was in this particular area but his explanation was cut short by the sound of a door opening which revealed Jin standing where the wooden barricade used to be.

"Morning Jin," Ulrich said cheerfully as a means of identifying himself.

Jin took a defensive step back as he was totally surprised by his friend's sudden entrance.

"Who is it Jin?" Came an older female voice which Ulrich deduced was Jin's mother.

"It's his friends Ulrich, Odd and Jeremie Mrs. Ishiyama," the person in question answered. Although Ulrich was on friendly terms with the Japanese woman, he wasn't well known around the household to just causally stroll inside.

"Oh hello there," Mrs. Isiyama said brightly, pleased with the boy's company.

"Urlich!" Yumi repeated wearing a similar dumbfounded expression as her brother did a minute ago.

Yumi's mom continued the conversation, "Looks like you guys have something important to do today if you're all up this early. I'll leave you alone then. Goodbye and don't forget to pick up your lunches. We had left overs from last night and I want to get rid of them."

"By mom," the siblings replied simultaneously.

Yumi watched the woman climb the staircase leading to the second floor from their positions before taking her brother's arm to lead him outside.

"So Yumi, how do you like our little surprise visit?" Odd asked the girl slyly.

Jeremie stepped forward as to give the confused girl the expiation she deserved. "All of this was a byproduct of what happened this morning. The three of us were really concerned for Jin's safety and decided during our breakfast that we should pay you two a visit."

"Yeah, without me getting a bite to eat!" Odd yelled.

Yumi placed her hand over her mouth to try to cover up the wide smile that was spreading across her face.

"Well I'm glad that you cared enough for Aniki to skip a meal and come over."

Odd let out a low growl before Ulrich entered the conversation and ended the friendly bickering.

"We thought it would be good if we all showed up to help walk Jin to school." Ulrich stopped speaking to take a quick look at Jin's sunglasses and was pleased with the boy's readiness. "Looks like you guys already solved the eye issue."

"Thank my sis. It was her idea."

Ulrich turned his head to face Yumi although Jin highlighted her most recent feat of cleverness her eyes still had a semi-downcast look to them as if she had something on her mind.

"Whatever she's thinking, its best I stay out of it," the boy thought to himself before turning around to begin his return trip to Kadic Junior High.

* * *

"So Jin," Odd said casually. "Heard any good songs recently?" 

It was the first try at a normal conversation in the group since the XANA attack and it was in their best interest to carry on their normal routine as if nothing had happened.

"Well I did download this one song off the internet a few days ago," Jin said while keeping his right hand on his sister's shoulder as to stay walking in the correct direction.

"Oh really?" Odd said interested. "What's it called. Maybe I should get it myself."

"Love Foolosophy and don't even bother getting my file"

"Is the song that horrible?"

"No in fact its really good. It's just that the audio quality is really low and it sounds like it was recorded in a garage by some kids. I do have to say that it sounds like a good tune to play during the credits of a tv show but that's my opinion."

Yumi sighed to herself and get walking forward and did not dare to take a look at Jin's face even though it was beaming with happiness. She only allowed the slightest hint of melancholy to enter her eyes and hoped that no one else would see her slightly sadden expression, and true enough no one did.

No one except Ulrich.

* * *

RING! 

The school's bell system was put onto active duty releasing its standard signal which beaconed all the students outside to come indoors to begin their lessons. Yumi and Jin stood on the outside of their first period's classroom door and pondered amongst themselves how to get to their desks without arising any suspicious glances from their teachers and fellow classmates. Before the rapid fire exchange of ideas could take place, Yumi heard a stampede of footsteps roar behind her which instantly sparked a solution. Using the before-school chaos that the morning brought forth, Yumi grabbed Jin by the arm and pulled him into the classroom until they were next to his desk. The students inside were too busy with idle chit chat with one another to care about the Japanese girl dragging her older twin brother around the place.

"You didn't have to pull that hard," Jin said dryly as he slowly lowered himself into his chair.

"Sorry, Aniki. Guess I got lost in the moment."

Jin noted the way his sister said the word "sorry." Yumi filled the word up with more emotional despair than needed when one committed an innocent mistake. Just before he could express his concerns, the teacher finally called the class to order.

"Ok class. I hope you enjoyed yesterday's unexpected vacation but now we got some ground to cover."

Yumi and Jin exhaled a huge sigh of relief simultaneously. They were already able to deduce the teacher's lesson plan given only his brief introductory statement. There was only going to be one activity that would take place during this period today.

"Everyone please take out your textbooks and open them to the thirty-first page."

Today was going to be a day devoted to lectures. With the gaping hole in all the teacher's lessons plans throughout Kadic Junior High, the faculty was about to present their missing lessons in double time to get their students caught up. They way this development played out in Jin's favor was that the teacher would be more concerned with speeding through the lesson plan rather than directly addressing his students. The boy followed his teacher's instructions and drew out the requested book, which he was able to identify by the overall size and feel of the cover, and set in on top of his desk. Not taking any chances, Jin stood the book up right on its edges so that it blocked his face from the rest of the class all while making sure that it was standing right side up by using the book's bar code as a reference of which end was which.

"Mr. Ishiyama!" The teacher said sharply.

"Yes," came Jin's explanation as he kept his face buried into the makeshift barricade he created.

"Any particular reason why you can't set your book down like the rest of the class?"

"Oh no!" Yumi thought to herself. She could just feel the anxiety and worry just build up in her throat halting any saving comments she could throw and turning them into tiny squeaks of pitifulness.

"Don't worry I'm listening," Jin said as he waved his hand over the book's cover so that his instructor could see it. "You can stop wondering if I'm asleep back here, which I'm not. The truth of the matter is, I slightly injured my neck and I can't move it much."

The teacher raised a suspicious eyebrow but took no action for he had not the luxury to waste anymore time.

"Now back to the lesson," the teacher said calling the classroom's attention to his words.

* * *

It seemed that fate had smiled upon the Lyoko group. In one miraculous streak of good fortune all the classrooms that Jin and Yumi were a part of told the same story. The teacher's were all caught off guard with the school's sudden day off and were frantically and although they were notified of their hiatus slightly ahead of time, they did not fully prepare themselves for what was to come. The agenda was usually the same, though expressed in different mediums: read out of the book, listen to a lecture, watch a movie. Whatever it was they all had one thing in common. The plans lacked any direct student and teacher interaction. 

Jin pressed his back against a tree which was located near the school's cafeteria. He was getting better acquainted with both hiding and dealing with his blindness now being able to acquire a better perception of the world around him using his remaining four senses, but he was still completely helpless without the aid of his friends. The group of teenagers had taken refuge in this particular area as it was seldom that other students would frequent the premise. Jin could feel the rough bark of the tree rub against the fabric of his jacket as he slowly sat down on the grassy surface to get into a more comfortable position so that he could listen to his friends.

"Half the day done. Now we have the other half to go," Odd said lightly.

"So has there been any close calls lately?" Jeremie asked concerned of the potential dangers Jin's disorder presented them.

"So far none," replied an emotionally exhausted Yumi. "We just sat at our desks while our teachers tried to cram as much information into our heads as humanly possible."

"Same here," Odd said brightly. "Mrs. Herz's class was even _more_ boring than usual. Course I used the period to catch up on my sleep but who can blame me?"

Jeremie took one good look at the afflicted boy before turning his head back to the rest of the group.

"Now I think its pretty obvious why I had us meet here of all places."

"Nature walk?" Odd interrupted.

On a normal day, Jeremie would use the opportunity to scold Odd for his completely lack of serious. However, Jeremie was secretly grateful for his friend's lack of tact as it lifted some of the building tension from the discussion. He quietly sighed to himself and continued.

"Last night Aelita and I were talking about the Lyoko battle and why things happened the way they did."

"Is the tower still activated?" Ulrich anxiously asked allowing himself to finally participate in the conversation.

"Yes it is and I believe that its immediate deactivation is the only way for us to reverse the effects of XANA's attack."

"Jeremie," came Jin's almost quite voice which stopped his intellectual friend from elaborating on his most recent hypothesis.

"Yes?"

"Do you think you can leave me alone for a while? I need a moment to think to myself right now."

Jeremie tried his best to prolong their stay in the forest. "Are you sure about that Jin. This is some pretty important information that I'm sharing with you."

"I'm fine," Jin insisted. "I'm sure sis will fill me in on the details later."

The group of friends knew that Jin had suffered enough and quickly payed heed to his wishes. Yumi took extra care to make sure that Jin was perfectly safe in his spot and was a little hesitant in leaving him alone. With one last glance, Jin faded from the girl's sight but not from her memory.

"So, where should we meet now?" Ulrich asked casually.

"The cafeteria," Odd asserted while rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving and I need to eat NOW!"

The other three teenagers shared a brief moment of laughter before the turned the corner of the building they were near to gain access to the cafeteria.

* * *

Not too far off in the distance two male's were pacing around the campus and were impatiently awaiting the day to end. The figure dressed in all black quickened his pace and placed both of his hands into the pockets of his dress pants before fixing his gaze to the floor 

"You would think by now that some of our teachers just dabble on and on simply because they like to hear the sound of their own voices."

Clayton raised his eyebrow and was completely unsure what direction was Dirk going with his previous statement.

"Wha?" Came the larger friend's confused response.

Dirk slowly shook his head from side to side partially blaming himself for not enlightening Clayton oh his unique thought pattern.

"I was just expressing my discontent with how the teacher's choose to cover the lesson gap today."

"Yeah I know what you mean," a newly informed Clayton said. "They just kept hitting us with an endless supply of lectures."

"That's not all of it. You see, our educators have failed to realize the different psychological needs of their students."

Sometimes Clayton would seriously just abandon all hopes of ever understanding his enigmatic friend. Too bad today wasn't one of those moments.

"Psychological needs!" Came Clayton's surprised answer. "Honestly Dirk, you're taking this waaaaay to seriously. Do you wish to change the way teacher's interact with their students."

Dirk raised his hand and slowly shifted it back and forth to dismiss his friend's concern. "Let's not take it _that_ far. I was only stating the obvious."

"And what's so obvious about a student's psychological needs? Who Christopher Columbus was and the concept of gravity._ Those _are obvious facts."

Dirk was about to resume of eexplanation but Clayton's miniature education speech forced Dirk to reward his efforts.

"Impressive. Now back to what I was saying. You see Clayton. If we were to look at this in a metaphoricl sense then we can compare the teacher opening our heads up while holding a gigantic bucket of "info" and pouring it into our skulls."

"Like I said before Dirk, you're taking this way too far. Can't we just forget about it and just wait till class is over?"

"Just let me get thorough this thought," Dirk said harshly enough to keep the large person quiet. "The problem with this lecture overdose is that there are some students who are still left in the dark for listening to a teacher drone on and on for we lose focus."

Clayton had enough with Dirk's on brand of lecturing today for his information input was on overload.

"OooOooO. Dirk the psychologist. I'm shaking. I'm shaking."

Dirk ignored his friend's cheap shot to his ego and continued walking forward. He was defiantly not in a good mood right now. Four colored blotches, which he later identified as Yumi, Odd, Ulrich and Jeremie, soon came into his field of vision. With his attention now fully grasped, the Korean watched the quartet turn the corner of the cafeteria's outside before disappearing into the building's double doors. He was quick to note the widespread melancholy looks that all four teenagers before he gracefully turned on his heel to face his companion.

"Hey look, it's the Weirdo Bunch," Clayton whispered loud enough for only Dirk to hear.

"Yes and it appears that something is troubling them."

"They also seem to be one member short as I don't see Jin anywhere."

"Hmmm," Dirk said as he candled his chin in-between his thumb and index finger striking a pose that would make any comic book villain green with envy. "One can deduce that Jin's disappearance could somehow be linked to the sullen mood they're now in. "

Clayton was able to properly abridge Dirk's latest comment in only three words. "They're hiding something."

"Thanks for the recap. I assume that I don't need to ask you if you're interested in pursuing this lead."

Dirk only needed to see Clayton pound his right fist into the palm of his other hand to know that he had his full cooperation.

* * *

The first half of the school day left a bad taste in Jin's mouth. He never liked being burden on a making people go out of their way to help him out. He had been in position way too long before and for Jin, the past was the last thing that he wished to think about. He tried his best to find the silver lining in his predicament which was the unbelievable string of good luck he was experiencing that day but that too was soon going to run out for him. He was in the middle of eating a simple sandwich that his mother made for him out of the leftovers from their house when he heard two sets of footsteps approach him. 

"Never figured you to be the outdoors kind of person Ishiyama."

Jin didn't need a set of working eyes to know who he was talking to. He slowly rose to his feet to face his visitor.

"Well if it isn't Kadic Junior High's own little Sun Tzu in training. Glad to see that you're taking time out of your precious studies to talk to little ole me."

Dirk turned his nose in an upward direction as if he caught wind of a fowl smell.

"Can the corny jokes for some other time."

Jin put a pretend frown on his face and stood up. He adjusted the sunglasses that lay on the bridge of his nose as to make sure they stay in their desired area before continuing the verbal match.

"Awwww," the boy said with a sad puppy dog face. "Little Dirky Wirky doesn't feel like laughing."

Clayton stood slightly in front of his best friend as both a means to see his reaction and to serve as his body guard incase things got rough. Despite Jin's insults against his pride, Dirk still remained just as stone cold as ever. Not even showing a trace of emotion on his face as to give away how he was truly feeling inside.

"I'll say this only once to save me the headache," Dirk resumed. "What's bugging your friends as of right now?"

Jin could feel the tips of his fingernails dig deep into the soft flesh in the palm of his hand. Facing down two of Kadic Junior High's most notorious students was a difficult task. He could just feel all the pent up frustrations that he allowed to well up inside of him. Clawing their way to be top to be displayed in front of the rest of the world. Jin tried his best to hold onto his demeanor but his aggression flowed through the cracks in his armor.

"Just buzz off Kap Hwan! I'm not in the mood to be playing Twenty Questions."

"Real funny," Dirk said in a cold manner.

"You know what?" Jin said as the volume of his voice was beginning to raise. "Just get the Hell out of my face! I don't even know why you want to mess with our group so badly. News flash Dirk. You can't beat us. You're just not good enough."

All that Dirk could hear was the sound of something shattering in his subconscious. He squeezed his hands tighter till his knuckles were white and glared at Jin with murderous intent. Over and over again those words played back in his mind like a broken record player relaying a message of old. A message that he did not want to hear again as long as he lived.

Clayton took a step back from Dirk for his own safety. Something inside the guy snapped. Whatever Jin said to him in his previous statement did some serious damage. Dirk was madly driven by his anger and there was Hell to pay. The vengeful look in Dirk's eyes was enough to kill Jin ten times over and for once in his life, Clayton was scared. Scared of what Dirk was going to do to Jin with his newly found rage.

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN!" Dirk screamed out as he lashed a powerful backhand aimed at Jin's face. Unable to see the oncoming blow, the victim of the attack took no means of defending himself and allowed his head to absorb the savage blow. Jin fell to the floor with a mighty thud and hastily placed his hands on his face. He was in a state of near panic once he realized that he no longer wore his precious sunglasses. He quickly abandoned any hopes of striking back at his attacker and crawled on all fours sweeping his hands over the floor in a desperate attempt to find the piece of eye wear amongst the blades of grass still keeping his eyes closed. Now Dirk was furious.

"Hey, I'm up here. Looks like I need to give you a reminder of why you should never piss me off!"

Dirk lifted his right foot off the ground and sent it rocketing toward the body smashing the upper section of his foot into the base of Jin's rib cage. Jin rolled on top of his back and tightly clutched his sides as to drive out the pain.

Not completely satisfied with the damage he had caused, Dirk flashed a sadistic smile toward Clayton as to relieve him of his services.

"Don't worry. I got this." Dirk finished his last sentence with another kick into Jin's ribs. The Japanese boy responded with another stifled scream and secretly hoped that help would come soon.

* * *

Odd licked his lips in anticipation for the meal he was about to eat. The boy greedily rubbed his hands together and swiftly seized his spoon and fork before aiming the utensils at the edible goodies that were just in his grasp. Sure he griped about the lack of quality food the school usually provided him but then again free food was free food. 

"Oh yeah lunch! The one period that I look forward to. Well, lunch and art."

Yumi, Ulrich and Jeremie left the eating boy alone for they knew how he didn't like to be disturbed while eating and continued their original meeting.

"So what did you want to tell us?" Yumi asked with a solemn expression on her face.

"After carefully going over with what little information that was provided to me. I have reason to believe that Jin's loss of vision was anything _but_ a freak accident."

Yumi's eyes opened wide in horror. She took a moment to re-collect herself as not to stand out in the cafeteria before confirming her suspicions.

"You mean Aniki was..."

"Yes. Jin was XANA's original target all along." Jeremie opened his mouth to say more but saw that he did not fully have Yumi's attention as he saw her stare blankly at the ground completely oblivious of her surroundings.

"You know Yumi," Jeremie countered. " If you're going to ask a question then you pay attention so you can hear your answer."

Jeremie watched the Japanese girl snap back to reality via a head shake before looking slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry Jeremie. Guess I let my mind wander off somehow."

Ulrich was a little more worried then his other friend and wanted to make absolutely sure that there was nothing bother his female counterpart.

"Are you sure Yumi? If there is something wrong you can always tell us."

The girl hesitated before waving the boy's concerns away. "It's ok Ulrich. I'm fine. Really."

Just like Jin, Yumi too was a poor liar. As much as Ulrich wanted to lend his support to the emotionally fragile girl, bringing her problems out now would just be cruel. He decided to just stick to the original topic and ask Jeremie another question concerning XANA.

"What makes you think so? Any one of us faced the same risks as he did but why was he the only one blinded?"

"If XANA wished to affect you or Odd then he wouldn't have his blocks shoot you with their ice cannons or eliminate Yumi with the hornet's laser gun. I feel those things were done to you guys as a means to isolate Jin."

"But why Jin?" Came another question from Ulrich's inquisitive mind.

"Jin is utterly useless without his sight. All three of you can retain some level of competence in Lyoko if a similar fate befell onto you but Jin would just be dead weight."

"So what's stopping us from going back to Lyoko and kicking XANA's butt to fix this mess?" Odd suggested with his mouth full of food.

"Because that would be suicide."

"Suicide!" The rest of the group repeated in unison.

"One can only assume that Jin's blindness is linked to the mysterious transfer error that first surfaced during your virtualization. So until I find out what's going on with the scanners, no one is to even set a foot on Lyoko without my permission."

"Then find out what's wrong!" Yumi commanded, slamming her fist onto the table with authority.

Jeremie's face turned a darker shard of crimson as he remembered exactly why his finding were incomplete.

"Sorry Yumi. I would have but I went to sleep early that night."

"You did what!" Odd repeated. "No wonder you seemed more awake than usual."

"It was Aelita's idea!" Jeremie blurted out. "She said I could have made a critical error during my research and that I should approach the situation with a clear head."

"And you listened to her? Wow, if she got you to sleep early then she must mean something special to you."

Odd rose from his seat and began to stretch out his limbs and let out a low yawn.

"Gah! This is information overkill for me. I'm going out for some fresh air. Fill me in on the details I missed later."

Yumi saw a golden opportunity to see if everything was alright with Jin. "Can you check up on Aniki for me?"

"Sure thing. Might as well give the guy some company. Lord knows what thoughts are going through his head."

Odd picked up his book bag and hoisted it over his shoulder all while making his way toward the door. He forced the entranceway open with one of his arms and made his way to the last place the group was with Jin not knowing what to expect once he got there.

* * *

Odd pushed open the door that was closest to him and stepped outside to enjoy the lush surroundings that his campus provided. 

"Man it's great to finally get out of that cafeteria even though it cost me my meal."

The mere mentioning of food brought Odd's train of thought to his tiny dog and if he too had something to eat.

"I hope I put enough food in Kiwi's dish. I should check that out but first thing's first I need to see how Jin's is doing," the boy said to himself.

Odd rounded the corner of the cafeteria's building casually expecting to see Jin resting against a tree like he originally was when he was left alone. As he walked deeper into the forest he attention was immediately seized by the sighting of two extra bodies. One wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and the other dressed in all black.

"Dirk and Clayton." Odd growled under his breath as not to announce his arrival.

Odd fixed his gaze upon the figure in red lying on the floor and was terrified by the sight. The boy was face down in the field and desperately clawed at the Earth in a feeble attempt in standing up again but lacked the energy to do so. In that instant, Odd recalled a conversation he had with Jin after the last time they spared against each other.

"_Don't cut yourself short. Who knows, maybe you'll come rushing to our aid like you always do in Lyoko."_

Jin's soon-to-be savior gritted his teeth in anticipation of the rough battle ahead. "Man Jin, you just _had_ to be right about this one."

* * *

Jin wanted to beat the living daylights out of Dirk and Clayton. He wanted to smash his foot against their faces. Break every single bone in their bodies. Beat them into a bloody pulp so that their own mothers wouldn't be able to recognize them. But most important of all, Jin wanted to see himself doing these things. To see the carnage that he could create, see the destruction that he would cause and see the anguish in his termoil. However, the reality of the situation denied him of this violent wish. The only thing he could do now was to continue to lie there and take the beating hoping that he would still be able to walk away from the whole ordeal.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen," Dirk said still drunk with rage. "No one dares talk to me like that!"

Clayton took another step back from his friend. Not out of fear but out of astonishment. There was something more to this scene than meets the eye. Something that needed to be uncovered. Clayton's miniature infestation was abruptly ended when he saw a relatively large object fly by his face in the general direction where Dirk was standing.

"CATCH!" A voiced yelled out in the distance.

Dirk swiftly turned around and caught the mysterious projectile with both his arms and was surprised to feel the amount of weight it carried. The Korean boy looked down at the item in his possession and was perplexed by what he was holding.

"A backpack!" Dirk said to himself. "Where the hell did this come from?"

"From me!" The mysterious voice yelled out.

"What the!"

Dirk looked directly ahead of him only to see a streak of purple take to the air and extend his foot in his direction. The schoolyard tactician felt a gigantic blow on his chest sending him flying backwards. Gravity quickly took effect and Dirk soon found himself rolling on the school's grassy surface until he ran out of momentum and skidded to a halt.

"Mind if I crash the party Jin?" Odd asked the boy he was rescuing.

"Odd!" Jin said excitedly knowing that his enemies were about to get their just desserts.

"Great to see you too but now I got Tweedle Dumber to kick around. Give me a minute. This won't take long,"Odd finished his statement arrogantly.

Clayton shook his head as to snap himself back to reality. If he didn't know better, he just saw Odd deliver a flying kick to his best friend. That thought alone got his blood pumping.

"You purple freak!" Clayton yelled at the top of his lungs.

"And darn proud of it," Odd responded in his trademark goofy smile.

"TRY SMILING WITH MY FIST CRAMMED DOWN YOUR THROAT!"

Odd's reflexes were fine tuned way beyond the limitations of your typical teenager. Dodging Clayton's fist proved to be not as difficult as say a roachster's laser beam but he wasn't complaining. Odd bent his torso downward and swayed underneath his adversary's arm putting him at an ideal position for a counter attack. Before Clayton's could kick in which would allow him to defend himself, Odd retaliated by throwing a punch of his own into the left side of the larger boy's face. His fist jolted slightly as the feedback from the blow lit up the nerves in his arms and ignited them like wildfire. Clayton's body still remained anchored to the Earth as he continued to stand his ground. Odd mentally yelled at himself as he remembered how hard it was to fight the enforcer of Kadic Junior high. Even Ulrich barely managed to escape his previous confrontation. However, despite these obstacles, Odd pressed on. He never ran away from a fight in Lyoko so why should he in the real world. Knowing that he was going to need a more powerful blow to win this exchange, Odd switched strategies. Leaping in the air backwards until his body was perfectly parallel to the ground, he thrust both of his legs out in midair and planted them firmly onto Clayton's chest. The dropkick paid off as it sent Clayton rocketing in the opposite direction into a nearby tree which knocked him to the floor where he laid motionless.

"And the score now rests at Odd two, Troublesome Duo, zero!" The victor yelled.

"Think again!"

Odd turned his body to see what was going on only to feel a Dirk's elbow ram itself into his shoulder.

"Gah!" Odd screamed in surprise and agony.

Dirk stood upright and fixed the collar of his dress shirt to make sure that he still looked presentable. His collected mannerisms returned to him in full force thus allowing him to have complete control of himself.

"I had enough of your cheap tricks Odd! Say high to Nurse Dorothy for me after I send you to the infirmary on a stretcher."

"Harsh words coming from somebody who's going to be laid out flat."

Odd ran at full speed at the black clad bully in hopes of getting the jump on him which was what Dirk was hoping all along.

"That's it Odd. Just a little closer. One more step and it will be all over," Dirk thought to himself. The fingers in his hand trembled in excitement anticipating the amount of destruction that they will cause.

* * *

Somehow, someway, Jin had managed to drag his weary and damaged body so that it rested against the side of the cafeteria building. His sunglasses rested safely on the bridge of his nose and his secret was now safe. The shuffling footsteps and the constant bickering between Odd and Dirk were the only traces of evidence that the elder Ishiyama could use to know the status on the fight. Again, violent thoughts flickered in Jin's mind on what he could do to Dirk leaving behind bloodstains and body bags in his imagination's wake. 

"_I had enough of your cheap tricks Odd! Say high to Nurse Dorothy for me after I send you to the infirmary on a stretcher."_

That voice, it was Dirk's but more importantly, judging by its volume, he was standing right in front of him. Using that previous outburst as a guide, Jin pinpointed his target's exact location and massaged the tiny knuckle bones in his right hand.

* * *

This time he would be ready. No more cheap shots, no flying backpacks, no insults. This fight was going to end now with him being victorious. Dirk prepared to lash his right arm forward but was pulled back by something. Two arms came up from the crooks of both his arms and wormed their way to the back of his head where they interlocked with one another creating an almost unbreakable hold. 

"I'm disappointed in your Dirk," Jin said condescendingly. "Sun Tzu always said never attack your opponent when they're desperate as they'll fight that much harder. Looks like you need to hit the books a little more."

Dirk struggled as hard as he could to free himself not liking the predicament he was in, but Jin only tightened his hold.

"Let go of me now!" Dirk commanded.

"Sure, right after Odd beats the living daylights out of you for my sake," Jin turned away so that he was no longer facing Dirk and looked straight ahead to cheer on his rescuer. "Now...LET'S FINISH THIS!"

Odd on his end jerked his body to the side and stretched out his leg so that his shin was facing Dirk's mid section. The appendage embedded itself into its desired destination burying itself deeper into its targets frame as if it were to emerge on the opposite end.

"My turn," Jin said through clenched teeth.

With Dirk now completely defenseless it was now Jin's opportunity to act. He wrapped his right forearm over his assailant's arm and channeled as much power as he could find within himself into throwing Dirk behind him. The Korean boy soared through the air and collided against the cafeteria building which squashed any thoughts of him continuing the fight.

"Bas...tards," Dirk wheezed out feeling his last shred of consciousness slip away from him.

* * *

"Something's not right here," Ulrich said with a hint of worry. 

"Come again?" Jeremie asked.

"Don't you think Odd's been out for a bit too long? He should be back by now."

"You're right Ulrich. Odd not the type of person who would skip out on meals unless he had a good reason to."

"It can't be that bad," Yumi interjected reassuringly. "If anything bad is happening he would have called us as soon as he could. He's knows better than that."

"You're right Yumi," Ulrich said before letting out a sigh. "I'm just a little on edge that's all."

THUD!

Yumi, Ulrich and Odd all turned their heads to face the vicinity where the sound came from only to see the blank cafeteria wall stare right back at them. All the other students inside paid no heed to the mysterious noise but the incident was too out of the ordinary to go undocumented.

"What the heck was that?" Ulrich asked out of curiosity.

Jeremie was the first one to answer, "It came from the outside of the building."

"You think it's just a few people horsing around over there."

"Highly unlikely. That end is where the forest is and no one is usually there."

Ulrich eyes widened once he realized the significance of that area. "Isn't that where Jin is right now?"

"Indeed it is. I suggest we head over there right now to see what is exactly going on."

The other two friends nodded in agreement and bolted out of the cafeteria as fast as their legs could carry them.

* * *

Odd and Jin faced each other grateful that their ordeal was finally over. 

"See Odd. I told you, that you were going to kick butt in the real world."

Odd opened his mouth as to speak his piece but was astonished to see Jin suddenly collapse.

"Jin!"

No longer able to feel the battle rush he once had, the strain Jin forced himself to endure of both fighting off Dirk and pushing through his injuries finally caught up to him.

"I wonder if Jackie Chan had days like this?" He muttered to himself.

"You would think that if you were a famous actor from Hong Kong who did all of his own stunts," Odd said in his usual humorous fashion as a way of preventing the situation from being too grim.

Jin could feel his body being hoisted in the air forcing him to conjure up a new perspective of his surroundings as his vision only granted him the ability to see blackness.

"Aniki!" Came a female voice behind the two boys.

"Looks like the calvary arrived just a tad bit late," Odd said off calmly.

Yumi dashed across the field with Ulrich and Jeremie in tow all ready to confront whatever trouble came their way. Yumi's eyes scanned the forest and saw Dirk and Clayton on the floor and Jin slung over Odd's shoulder.

"What happened!"

"Your brother got into a tussle with our two most favorite people in the world over there and I had to go bail him out of that mess."

"Oh my God!" Yumi exclaimed as she was horrified by the outcome of her negligence. "Are you ok Aniki?"

Jin released a small cough which triggered the nerves in his torso to go wild with pain underneath the stress he was putting them through.

"Took a few shots to the rib cage but I don't think anything is broken."

Yumi gave her brother a regretful look before speaking. "Let's just get out of here," The worried girl shifted her gaze to the floor and muttered something under her breath so that the other's wouldn't hear her. "For my sake."

Jeremie trailed behind his friends as he was too busy looking at Dirk and Clayton's motionless bodies. No longer were the two considered schoolyard bullies in his book, they were now legitimate threats against the group's struggle against XANA. Just now, those two came dangerously close to uncovering Jin's blindness and who knows what would have proceeded after that. However, there was no use in dwelling on the "what ifs" for Jeremie as he had his own issues to deal with. Just when Jeremie had turned around to join his friends, a low rustle could be heard where Clayton had been. Even after the powerful attacks that Odd had dealt to him, the large boy still had enough energy to stand upright as to challenge all of his enemies at once.

"That really hurt!" Clayton bellowed out. "Allow me to return the favor!"

With only the thoughts of revenge on his mind, Clayton recklessly charged at the nearest person who was standing in front of him which unfortunately was Jeremie. Drawing his hand back as far as he could, Clayton sent his fist flying toward the figure's head ready to hurt the little genius whichever way he could.

The others were too far away to serve as any means of intervention. The four remaining teenagers all stood in place helplessly as they watched Clayton's fist fly through the air as if it were moving in slow motion. Ulrich was the first one able to recapture his sense of awareness and sought to help his friend out as best he could.

"Jeremie! Don't just stand there! Move it!" The boy commanded.

Without a second to spare, Jeremie's own combat instincts kicked into overdrive. A surge of energy traveled up from the base of his spine into his neck forcing his head to the side which moved it out of harms way. The energy then migrated from Jeremie's neck into his arm where the impulse drove the appendage to weave underneath Clayton's arm and into his head as an ironic form of poetic justice. Flesh and bone clashed and a heavy crack hung in the air as the energy that pulsated through Jeremie's arm finally dissipated into Clayton's jaw where it finally settled.

"No way," Ulrich muttered to himself in disbelief.

There the two combatants stood. Jeremie's fist rested underneath Clayton's chin as the result of a powerful uppercut being thrown. Everyone who bore witness to the sight held their breath in anticipation of what was going to happen next. Jeremie looked into the eyes of his enemy so that he could be better prepared for his next move but saw that the larger boy was struggling to keep them open. Clayton's will to fight was lost as his eyelids closed shut and he fell to the floor in a tired heap.

Odd was completely shocked with what he just saw as were Yumi and Ulrich.

"Did we just see Einstein knockout Clayton?"

"I think we all did Odd," Yumi responded as seriously as she could.

Jeremie just stared in awe at his hand as he wondered if he broke any laws of science by defeating Dirk's enforcer in unarmed combat.

"Way to go Einstein!" Odd cheered out joyfully. "Where you learn how to do that man?"

Jeremie turned his head to face his purple-clad companion and shook his head side to side in order to bring himself back to the real world.

"Let's just head back. I think I have enough unsolved mysteries to solve in one day."

* * *

Ulrich took a quick look around in the room he was in and saw all of his classmates remove their school supplies from their backpacks and figured he might as well do the same. Just when the teacher was about to address her class, the classroom's door opened revealing Dirk and Clayton standing in the doorway. 

"Mr. Kap Hwan, Mr. Mil, you two are both tardy. May I have an explanation for this?" The teacher said harshly.

"We forgot something in the cafeteria and had to go back and get it," Dirk fibbed as to preserve his good image.

"Well I'll let it slide this time. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Thank you."

Ulrich studied late occupant's figures. Judging from the blades of grass still on their clothes, they had only recently awakened and went straight to class and not bothered to visit the infirmary. Dirk was not walking normally since he kept on arm over his abdomen as not to cause himself anymore grief. Clayton faired much better despite the fact that he was hit the most. Odd turned his body around so t hat he could get a look at the two people he just defeated and couldn't help but admire his handiwork. Dirk paid no heed to the insults and quietly wrote down but Clayton's reaction was far more dramatic. Odd received a malice glare from the enforcer conveying the message that the conflict between them was far from over.

"Odd," the teacher interrupted. "What's behind there that has you so enticed?"

"Nothing. Sorry," the accused boy stammered.

With that fiasco now over Ulrich tried his best to concentrate on his studies but he found that task impossible. All of his thoughts wandered around his head just begging to be brought under order but there was a method to this madness as these wayward tangents all revolved around a single subject. A subject that can be expressed in one word or, if you will, one name.

Yumi.

This alone was not unusual. There were times in his life, ever since they first met, that Ulrich would find his thoughts drift toward the gothic girl. It was only in the arena of dreams that he could freely interact with her without shying away like he always did. Whenever he would be teased about a possible relationship, be in an affectionate hug or caught just thinking about her, Ulrich could just feel his cheeks turn a deeper shade of red. He never felt like this around the other girls. Not Milly, not Tamiya and especially not Sissi. The only concrete fact that he could dig up from the murky depths of his subconscious was the simple wish of spending more time with the Japanese girl. The moment they shared at the arcade, laughing, talking, smiling their troubles away, was more than just pleasant. Somehow it felt like how things should be.

Then again if was thinking of those things, Ulrich wouldn't be so worried. No longer was Yumi her confident reassuring self. The occasional glances he would throw her way painted a different picture. There was something deeply troubling her that extended far beyond worry about one's safety. It was a look that Ulrich himself had put on his fair share of times in the past. A look of self pity and loathing. No one else in his circle of friends had yet to detect this as the Yumi's expression was subtle enough to go unnoticed but severe enough to be emphasized with. Hundreds of questions raced through Ulrich's mind as that realization hit him drowning out the words of his teacher and locking him inside his own mental prison. Did Yumi want his help? What would he say to her? Was he even deserving to help?

That last question hit Ulrich the hardest. His intervention could serve to amplify Yumi's problems even more. Never in his life could he recall a moment where he consoled someone who was deeply troubled with personal issues. Resorting to his conditioned response for thirteen years. Ulrich decided to drop the subject entirely.

"Maybe Yumi will recover on her own," Ulrich sadly said underneath his breath.. "I'll only make things worse by caring."

With that last vow uttered. The thoughts about Yumi disappeared and were replaced by the teacher's lecture.

* * *

Yumi slowly set Jin down on the steps of their household's doorstep as not to disturb his injuries before facing Ulrich. She worse an uneasy smile that masked the emotions that she was bottling up inside. 

"We somehow got through today. It must have been a miracle." Yumi forced a chuckle out of herself as to maintain the facade that she was alright.

"Well I better leave so that your parent's don't get suspicious of what is going on."

"Actually they went out tonight. My mother heard about a new Tai Chi class and wanted to see it for herself and has taken my father with her."

"Least we don't have to worry about tonight then." Ulrich turned his toward the direction of the school and was about to walk away when Yumi stopped.

"Ulrich wait!"

The boy was immediately caught off guard by the request but complied none the less.

"I just wanted to say..."

Yumi's speech trailed off and was carried off by a small breeze into the warm afternoon sky. The two teenagers stared at one another not knowing what to do at that moment. There was so much they wanted to tell each other so much to say but now wasn't the time for it to happen. Yumi cleared her throat as to justify her brief pause before continuing.

"I just wanted to say good night Ulrich and thank you for all your help."

Ulrich said no more and walked back to his dorm room. Yumi looked down at her older brother. Normally he would make a wise crack about her and Ulrich calling them love birds or something to that extent but he was silent. Whatever vitality and exuberance Jin dug up the night before, was now lost thanks to the likes of Dirk and Clayton. Tears began to form in her eyes as she saw Jin in such a pathetic state but she was able to hold them back.

"Come on Jeremie," Yumi whispered into the vacant sky. "You gotta find a way to fix this. I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

Jin picked up the faint traces of his sister's distress call and released a small sigh.

"You and me both sis."

* * *

Jeremie worked under the cone of light that his lamp provided him. Night soon overtook the city as Jeremie still toiled endlessly to find out what happened in Lyoko on that tragic day. Staring back at him was Aelita. Wearing an expression of pure dread. Horrified to hear what had happened to Jin during the group's lunch period. 

"I can't believe humans can do something so vile to one another," the virtual girl said looking to her blonde friend as a source of comfort.

"It's a fact of life Aelita. There are some people who walk among us who are no better than XANA and are proud of it."

Aelita was somewhat disappointed to hear such an answer. "I see. I guess it will be something to consider once I become materialized."

Jeremie smiled as not to crush the girl's idealistic views of his world. "Don't be discourage. Sure unfortunate events may occur over here but you need to understand that it's not all doom and gloom. Whenever something truly spectacular happens to you. It makes living through those misfortunes worth it. "

Jeremie's expression soon changed from sincerity to that of upmost professionalism.

"Now Aelita. I need you to tell me _exactly _what happened to you when you were at the second tower so we don't have any repeat performances of today."

The girl closed her eyes for a brief moment before she brought forth all the details she could recall to Jeremie's attention.

"Well things were normal at first. The three of us managed to reach the tower after getting past the blockage that the blocks set up and I was about to enter the tower. That's when the wapster flew at us."

Jeremie remembered what happened at that particular point in time and finished that segment for Aelita.

"That's when Yumi was attacked and me, Odd, and Ulrich all ran to the scanner room to see if she was ok."

Aelita nodded in agreement and then proceeded with her story, "Well at that moment Jin pointed his left gun at the hornet and pulled the trigger but nothing came out. He yelled out loud about Odd having poor aim and wasting his bullets and tried using the gun in his right hand but found that empty as well. I looked up and I found the wapster hovering but a few feet away from me and I just froze in terror."

It was a particular painful memory to revisit and Jeremie could see the strain the pink haired girl was putting herself through to report it.

"It's ok Aelita. Just relax," Jeremie said reassuringly.

Aelita took a few more seconds to recollect her composure and moved on.

"My mind just went blank and I stood still like a statue. Jin sensed what was going on and jumped in front of me to absorb whatever attack came my way and that's when it happened."

"It?"

"A strange fizzing sound came from the wapster's end section. It then released a stream of acid onto Jin's face and he fell over backwards screaming in agony. I saw him roll on the floor covering his eyes with both of his hands as he said that they were burning."

That last fact brought another aspect of the fight into Jeremie's mind.

"So that's why he lost his sunglasses so early! XANA wanted to create an open pathway to Jin's eyes! What else happened?"

"I knelt by his side to help him but he ordered me to go into the tower and that's all I know."

Jeremie's eyes narrowed as his brow creased showing signs of slight anger.

"Well that just confirms my theory."

"Theory?"

"Jin was targeted by XANA from the beginning and your story proves this."

"I don't understand. If Jin was the target, then why did the wapster come after me."

"XANA must have a deeper understanding of how Yumi, Ulrich, Odd and Jin fight on Lyoko. He knew that if he were to just attack Jin up front then he would simply jump out of the way. Instead, he used you as bait to get a free hit off of him."

"Well that explains how the wapster played its part in all of this but I still have yet to figure out what that transfer error was."

Jeremie placed the tips of his fingers on his keyboard and began to scour his computer for any useful bits of information that he could dig up.

* * *

"Then I threw my backpack at the guy and jumped in the air and did a flying kick at him as if I was in a Kung Fu flick," Odd said excitedly. He was still feeling the effects of the adrenaline rush he had when he fought Dirk and Clayton was took it upon himself to reenact the entire battle before his best friend so that he knew what exactly happened. "The idiot actually fell for my trick and I send him flying backwards." Odd watched Ulrich for any signs of reaction to his tale of heroism but only saw a blank face. "Yo Ulrich, you hear me? 

Ulrich's focus snapped back to this realm of reality after it was being demanded by Odd.

"Eh? Sorry, I was just thinking."

Odd was almost offended after hearing about his friend's lack of attentiveness. "I'm talking about mad Dirk and Clayton beat downs and you're just sitting there as if nothing had happened!"

* * *

Odd's voice got softer and softer and Ulrich kept pondering about Yumi. The look she gave him before she said goodbye reassured the notion that she was indeed deeply hurt inside. His mind ran circles around the last conversation they had as he saw all the elements that he picked up. 

A hurtful stare.

A forced laugh.

A sincere thank you.

Ulrich allow his mind to replay the last thought in his head as if it were a tape recorder.

"_I just wanted to say good night Ulrich and thank you for all your help."_

For once during this grueling day did he hear the voice of the real Yumi come forth. The Yumi that valued her friends and that was not afraid to smile to put others at ease. The vibrant girl who could face the most dire of situations with a smile on her face and a look beaming with confidence. This was the Yumi he missed. She was his friend after all a friend. She's been so helpful to him in the past and now it was his turn to pay her back for all her good deeds. Originally he vowed to not interfere with her problems but that oath was instantly vaporized for that seemed to be the coward's way out. His hand gripped the cell phone in his pocket as he slowly walked out of the room. He was going to be a real friend to Yumi. He was going to help get her smile back.

* * *

Odd stared at the door dumbfounded. Ulrich just got up a left in mid-conversation without saying a word of his real intentions. However, he was more peeved that he didn't have someone to share his story with rather than being angry at his roommate but now he was at a predicament. Still riding on his emotional high, Odd had to find someone to talk to but his options were slim. Jin and Yumi were absolutely out of the question while Jeremie would be on his computer as always. 

"Great. No one left to hear this awesome story," Odd said out loud in the empty room. He casually scanned his surroundings where his eyes came upon his cell phone which lay on his desk. An idea popped in the boy's head. "Or is there?" Odd then began to dial a number that he memorized by heart and hopped that the person on the other end would pick up.

* * *

Yumi stared blankly at the ceiling in her room. The book she was previously reading lay on the floor. Discarded due to its reader's inability to concentrate. Without the responsibilities of school to keep her inner demons at bay, Yumi's guilt came back in full force. She soon got out of her bed and walked the hallways of her house to check up on Jin. She crept inside his room as not to disturb the boy and was taken back by the sight before her. Assorted CDs were strewn all over the floor in front of the elder Ishiyama as he lay on the wooden surface of his room with his back leaned against the wall. His right hand clung onto his trusty player tightly as if it were a lifeline as he hope the music in his ears would drive away the sorrows buried inside. Never before did Yumi see her brother look so pathetic, an outcome of her carelessness The word's of Confucius, Sun Tzu and the principals of Taoisim could not provide as aid in his crisis. Jin casually looked up, not knowing of his sister's presence and the two siblings' eyes met. Looking into Jin's hollow white eyes filled Yumi up with disgust causing the tears she was holding back so long ago to finally surface. Her sorrows swelled inside. Tearing through her body like a thousand machetes. Yumi's stress knew no bounds and forced her to take refuge within the confines of her room. 

RING!

Yumi's cell phone called for its user's attention and forced the gothic girl to suppress any sort of negative emotions she was feeling.

"Hello," the girl greeted as calmly as she could.

"Hey Yumi," came a shy voice on the opposite line.

"Ulrich!" The girl said mildly shocked.

Yumi heard only silence on the other end of the line as she wondered why she was getting a call from this particular person. Ulrich hesitated in giving his answer but motivated by his ambition he pressed on.

"Can you meet me at the park bench near the front gate of the school?"

"Ulrich, do you know what time it is!"

"Yeah I know, it's pretty late but I need to tell you something."

"Why can't you just tell me it over the phone?"

Ulrich's plan had hit its first snag but he didn't care. He was going to help his friend out any way he could.

"Just go there Yumi, please. Trust me."

Yumi knew that deep down inside that there was no possible way she could refuse her friend's request. If Ulrich said it was important, then it was important.

"I'll be there."

The girl turned off her cell phone and proceeded to exit her home, curious of what news her green clad friend would bring her.

* * *

Ulrich wasn't the only one who was using his cell phone at the moment. Odd too was busy conversing with someone with the aid of the communication device. The boy was excited beyond belief as he recited his tale of heroism. 

"Then I jumped backwards and dropkicked the guy in the center of his chest and he went down like a sack of bricks."

"Looks like your friend Ulrich trained you well then," the girl he was talking to said while giggling.

"Of course. I'm never going to be beaten by those two jerks. They can't beat me."

"In terms of having an overinflated ego, I'd say you're undefeated," the girl stated jokingly.

"That was low," Odd deadpanned.

"Hey, somebody has to make sure that your head doesn't fill up with so much hot air that you'll lift off the ground and fly away."

"Once again, that was low. Can we just get back to the original topic?" Odd said in a similar manner as his previous statement.

"You mean you taking on the two school bullies? You know Odd, you never cease to amaze me. You always seem to be getting into trouble."

"Hey, least now it was for a good cause," came Odd's counter argument. "And I don't think you're quite the angle yourself."

The girl on the other line wasn't going to let a remark like that slide by her. "Give me a break. I'm trying ok. Don't dock me points for that."

"I'm not," Odd retorted playfully. "You didn't lose points for trying but your execution was sloppy and you didn't plant your landing firmly. The judges don't like that."

The girl just rolled her eyes after hearing that last comment. "Whatever. Look Odd, I got to get some of my homework done so I need to get off now but it was nice talking to you. Goodnight."

Odd smiled to himself as an expression of how much he truly indeed enjoyed the conversation. "Goodnight Sam."

Just when Odd ended his call, a note was slipped underneath his door. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Odd picked up the folded piece of paper and read the message written on it.

* * *

_You got lucky last time! Meet me on the rooftop in five minutes, I'll be waiting. Come alone and we'll finish this one on one! _

_-Clayton_

* * *

Odd crumpled the note with both of his hands as he gritted his teeth. He had yet to fully release his rage from his system. Not thinking with sound judgement or logic on his side, Odd rushed out of the door ready to do battle.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, it was quite easy for students attending Kadic Junior High to sneak out of their dorms and leave campus as security was pretty lax. Jim was usually in charge of this task but seeing how he was also the schools, P.E. teacher, hall monitor, dog catcher and every other odd job under the sun, one could not blame the man for being tired and neglecting some of those duties. 

Ulrich sat quietly on the designated bench where the meeting was supposed to take place. He couldn't believe what he was doing, he actually worked up enough guts to ask Yumi to meet him _alone_. He remembered how much he enjoyed himself when he was with Yumi in the arcade, but he also remembered how nervous he was too. He watched the gate attentively and saw Yumi enter the school grounds. Watching her come closer and closer to him Ulrich's heart beat faster with every step she took. He had just past the point of no return. It was time to follow through with his promise.

"Sure is a nice night out here," Yumi commented as she sat down by Ulrich's side. Ulrich on his part was doing a fairly good job of covering up his shyness and tried to conduct himself in a normal manner.

"Yeah it is," the boy responded while looking up at the starlit sky,

Neither of the teenagers said a word after that each of them uncomfortable in the other's company. With the idle chit chat out of the way, Yumi rushed to the most important part of the discussion.

"So Ulrich, you said you wanted to tell me something."

Ulrich took in a deep breath as to prepare himself for the endless consequences his single answer could bring him.

"Are you alright Yumi?"

"Of course I am," the gothic girl lied as to perpetuate her coverup. "There's nothing wrong with me."

Ulrich bowed his head as to avoid seeing his female friend's reaction to his next statement. "Somehow I find that hard to believe."

Yumi stood absolutely still for a brief second. How could Ulrich know what she was really feeling? She covered up her tracks so well. Odd, Jeremie and Jin all believed her facade but why wasn't it the same situation with her last friend. Thinking that this was all just a coincidence, Yumi pressed onward with her denial.

"I don't know what you're talking about Ulrich. I'm fine."

Getting Yumi to cooperate was going to be harder than he originally thought. Ulrich decided to just state the obvious to get himself past the verbal stalemate.

"You're only fooling yourself Yumi so stop."

Yumi was shocked after hearing those word's from the boy. She had never seen Ulrich express such authority on anyone else before. She sat in silence and just listened to what he had to say.

"Ever since we escaped from Lyoko you've been acting differently. There's something eating you inside, something you want to say but can't since you want to stay strong."

"How do you know all of this?"

"If there's anyone here who's knows about putting on a smile to please others even though it meant swallowing your own sorrows then it would be me."

The barrier came down as Yumi's inner emotions flowed out of it. Droplets of water formed in the girl's eyes and gently fell onto the sleeve of her shirt under the mercy of gravity. Ulrich didn't expect her to respond right away and kept on talking as to put her at ease.

"I know you're sad about Jin. We all are."

"It's not just Jin!" Yumi said abruptly. "I'm always the one who's at fault for _everything_! That's why I was thinking about quitting the team so no one else gets hurt."

Ulrich was floored after hearing the girl's intentions. He didn't know the roots of the girl's problem were so deep and would cause her to take such drastic action.

"Don't try to stop me Ulrich. I've been thinking about this for a long time now and this is the best decision for all of us. I don't deserve your friendship. I'm just a burden on all your guys so it would be best if I just leave without saying another word."

"Yumi you can't quit. Come to your senses."

Yumi's speech pattern changed from that of self pity to one of being upright aggressive. "You know it's true Ulrich! I'm more trouble than I'm worth. If I didn't fall in the virtual abyss we'd have Aelita materialized and our fight against XANA would be over. I force you and Odd time and time again to risk your lives to save me and don't get me started with Aniki. I literally had to_ physically _attack him in order for him to stop following me when XANA had control over that military satellite."

To say that Ulrich was stunned would be an understatement. Yumi wasn't able to register his reaction as she was too caught up in confessing her darker feelings.

"Even when I plan things always turn out for the worse. I had Jin come over here to help him deal with his problems and now I've only made things worse. He's still has yet to move on from what happened to him two years ago and on top of that, now he's blind!"

Yumi's composure worsened after that last comment. She buried her face in the palms of her hands to shield her face from the rest of the world.

"Why do you guys still insist on protecting me? I'm such a horrible person! You guys would be so much better off without me holding you back!"

Ulrich couldn't take this self-abuse that companion was putting herself through. The scathing remarks were torture to his ears and he need to put and end to this.

"YUMI, THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Ulrich covered his own mouth, surprised to hear how forceful that command was but it was needed for him to catch her attention.

"You should never say such things about yourself because I know that those are just lies."

Yumi opened her mouth as to utter a few conflicting words but Ulrich beat her to the punch.

"You can't just blame yourself for things that are beyond your control. If you truly want to help us then you have to see this to the end and actually find a solution to the problem. If you run away then Jin would still be blind but now he's minus one sister."

Ulrich's reasoning was able to calm Yumi down slightly and allowed her to attentively listen to him.

"Don't beat yourself up like this whenever your plans fall apart. At least you can come up with a decent strategy. Remember the time I had to be Finson's assistant all because of the fact I was so confident that my idea would work when it was really not good enough to use in the first place."

Now Yumi was giggling. Although the whole incident was dire at the time, looking backone couldn't help but appreciate the humor of the situation. Ulrich turned to face the gothic girl and saw a tear-streaked face looking back at him wearing a small smile. He had gotten his wish but it wasn't enough to satisfy his promise.

"Did it ever occur to you that the reason why we're always helping you is not because you're so horrible. We do it because we know you deserve it and that you would do the same for us if you were in a similar predicament. Jin told me the one time you swung from the bridge onto the bulldozer that I was trapped in only to flee from it moments later carrying my unconscious body. Jin emphasized the fact that you didn't wait for a suitable plan to be formed and you just rushed in without any hesitation which almost gave him a heart attack all because I was in danger."

"That's my Aniki for you,"Yumi said proudly as her smiled widened ever so slightly.

"We almost lost Jin to the likes of XANA and now we can possibly lose you too. How can we possibly win with two of our most valuable members gone? You're anything but a horrible person. I can honestly say without a doubt that you are one of the closest friend's I ever had before and that's something I don't want to lose anytime soon. If you still decide to leave let me just say that I would miss you."

It was impossible for Yumi to be sad after hearing Ulrich's heartfelt speech. The last teardrop was wiped away from her eyes and with it was her anguish. For once during this entire day, she allowed herself to be happy. She released a smile that radiated far beyond the bench she sat on and rivaled that of any star in the sky.

"Thanks Ulrich, that was something I really needed."

"I just wish I had someone who did something like that to me when I felt down. You know, let me share my secrets with. I mean Odd is a good friend and all but I as we all know he's not the most empathetic person out there."

Yumi could instantly detect Ulrich's cries of loneliness and had her own remedy for his problems.

"Then let's start now."

"Huh?"

"Sometimes I wish you would open up more. If you keep things bottled up inside you will go crazy, believe me, I know. I'll try my best to lend an ear if you're ever in trouble and need someone to talk to.'

"You mean..."

"Yes Ulrich, this will be _our_ little secret."

Ulrich looked on as Yumi slowly stood up and walked home. No goodbyes were said as no more words were needed to be spoken as not to spoil what just happened. On this park bench common ground was found. The shy boy and the confident Japanese girl both saw the similarities in each other. Where they could talk to one another without being embarrassed or fear of rejection. This is what their hearts truly desired.. The only thing they could wish for now was to be even closer than they ever were but the circumstances that would make that come true would come much later. For now, they just savored the moment for what it was. A step toward inner happiness with each other.

* * *

High above the campus' grounds of Kadic Junior High, a less peaceful meeting was about to take place on the school's rooftop. Clayton stared at the full moon that shown overhead and patiently awaited the arrival of his "guest." This was not a simple revenge brawl as he indicated in his written. There was something else he needed to see as well. The door to the school's rooftop opened which revealed Odd standing in the doorway holding what it appeared to be a lock pick. 

"I'm surprised to see that I don't need to use this," Odd said with a sarcastic smile.

"That's because I have that exact model," Clayton replied in a similar tone of voice as he fished out a lock pick of his own from his pocket.

The two boys placed their lock picks in their designated holding places and looked ahead at each other.

"A rooftop fight at night. Man Clayton, I think all of those movies you watch are going to your head," Odd said jokingly.

"Can we just get down to business here?" Clayton said seriously.

"I'm surprised to see that your boss isn't here to give you orders."

Clayton scoffed at the remark and didn't allow it to mess with his head. "I'm doing this on my own. I have a few personal reasons."

"Oh really? Now why didn't you invite Jeremie to our little shindig as well even though he was the one who laid you out flat. I bet if he came he would have brought the chips and soda."

"It was my fault that Jeremie got that lucky punch off of me. I was too angry when I attacked him and _I_ made a mistake. With you, it's a different story."

Odd shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes. "Not my fault. Now, give me one good reason why I should even give you a rematch. The only thing I can gain from a second fight is the satisfaction of beating you and that feeling is starting to get old really fast."

Clayton bowed his head as he prepared himself to present his bargaining chip. "No matter what the outcome is, I'll make sure that Dirk and myself will stay out of your way."

Clayton had just dropped a bombshell. Odd's ears must have been playing tricks on him.

"What!"

"You heard me. The whole reason why we were with Jin was because Dirk sensed something was wrong within your group and wanted to investigate. I'll make sure that we back off from you guys until you solve whatever your problem is amongst yourselves."

Odd saw a golden opportunity in Clayton's offer. He'd gladly take any risk if it meant eliminating any potential threats against his group's secrecy. So far only the Troublesome Duo were the only students who detected that something was wrong. If they were naturalized then the rest of his friends could conduct themselves with ease.

"Fine, you got yourself a fight. Just get your tissues ready so that you'll be better prepared for when you go crying home to your mommy."

Odd and Clayton got into their respected fighting stances and waited for the other to make the first move. Odd knew Clayton wasn't at the peak of his physical condition as he took four solid hits. Allowing his overconfidence to get the best of him, Odd started the battle off by dashing toward his target with his right first flying through the air. Clayton surprised Odd by spinning out of the punch's way and stepped to the side as to get behind his attacker. He then took the offensive by letting his fist fly at Odd's head which only went through air as Odd jolted his head to the side. Clayton fired another punch with his other arm but got the same results.

"What's the matter big guy? Can't hit a moving target," Odd taunted.

"If that's so maybe I should pick one that's still," Clayton said coldly.

Odd didn't know what that meant and in his brief period of hesitation, Clayton had managed to get a solid kick off of Odd's right shin causing the teenager who was on the receiving end of the blow to stumble backwards all while holding the damaged limb.

"No way," Odd whispered quietly.

This was just unreal. Clayton was fighting back just as fierce as ever. Odd looked at his opponent and saw the large teen's expressionless face. No longer was he overcome with anger as he would be in previous encounters. Now Clayton was able to fully concentrate on the fight and not make anymore careless mistakes as he did in the past.

"How am I going to beat this guy?" Odd's mind pleaded. In an all out brawl with him, Odd knew he would lose without a doubt. If a guy could take three punches to the head and a dropkick then he knew he was no match for such strength. However, Clayton was not unbeatable. There had to be a way to defeat him. Odd thought back to the times when Clayton was rendered unconscious by a second party. Ulrich's escape kick and Jeremie's uppercut were the only clues he had in unrevealing this riddle.

That was it!

Although the moves used to beat the guy were different, the area where they hit him wasn't. It seemed that despite his large size, Clayton had a glass jaw. Hit that area hard enough and he'll go down for sure. Odd limped to the rooftop's railing and grabbed hold of it for support as his left leg wasn't doing a good job at the task.

Now it was Clayton's turn to receive a confidence boost. With Odd on the ropes he pressed his luck. Interlocking his fingers, he casually walked up to Odd and raised both of his arms as high as he could stretch them zeroing in on the point on his body that he wanted to hit. Odd instantly turned around. This sudden burst of movement caught Clayton off guard and gave Odd the opening that he wanted. Using the rail as a means of leverage, Odd leapt straight up into the air and extended his right foot which connected with the enforcer's jaw. The powerful handstand kick lifted the junior bodyguard off of his feet before he dropped like a stone on top of the rooftop's surface.

Clayton raised his arm which stopped Odd in his tracks. "That's all I needed to see. You win."

Odd shook his head vibrantly as to confirm the notion that he was not dreaming as he heard the preposterous notion that the notorious Clayton was actually surrendering. Thinking that the whole thing was a trick in disguise Odd didn't allow a single muscle in his body to relax one iota.

Clayton wasn't the least bit surprised with Odd's hostile reaction. "Give it a rest man. It's over. You won."

The defeated combatant rose to his feet and walked to the rooftop's railing to gaze at the wonderful view the perch provided him. Sensing that Odd had yet to leave, Clayton gave out another dismissal.

"Are you deaf or something? I'm not going to attack you from behind. I just needed to see something."

Now Odd's curiosity was awakened. There was more to this engagement than meets they eye. He too made his way to the railing to join him.

"Must be something really interesting if it meant getting your ass kicked twice."

Clayton silently admitted defeat and gave his inquisitor the information he wanted.

"I thought my carelessness would lead to my defeat and I wanted to see if he was right. Guess I was right. I really tried to approach this fight without being angry and to just focus but I guess my mind wasn't all in one place."

"One second of anger is one year off your life," Odd quoted his blind friend.

"Eh?"

"Just a Chinese saying Jin told me. I thought it was pretty cool so I memorized it."

Clayton chuckled to himself once he noticed that he was now enthraled in a miniature philosophical exchange.

"The purpose of life is a life with purpose."

"That's pretty good. Who said that?"

"Dirk Kap Hwan"

Clayton dropped the second bombshell of the night. Who would have thought that Dirk was such a deep thinker.

"Why does a guy like you hang out with a jerk like Mr. Kap Hwan over there?"

"I've known the guy since we were kids and the only friend he's had for nine years. He helped me a lot back then and I'm just paying him back for the dept I owe him."

"Dirk being helpful! Maybe I bashed your head a little too hard for _my_ liking."

"That guy helped me find my direction. Gave me a place to channel my anger."

Odd's eyes opened wide. Between all the rumors and nasty stories circulating about the two. It was pretty easy to forget that Dirk and Clayton were human beings as well. Clayton kept talking as to finish the point he was making.

"Dirk's a pretty secretive person and doesn't reveal much about his past but I know that something happened to him quiet a while back that made him turn out like this."

"Wow, who knew he was such a softie."

"Normally I wouldn't be telling you this but I guess you deserve to hear it after that match."

Clayton walked away from Odd's presence, leaving him perplexed on what just happened.

* * *

In a dark room only lit by the glow of a computer screen, a sole figure typed in silence. Completely disregarding the lack of light in his surroundings and the amount of time that he'd been working, the figure still continued to press the buttons on his keyboard. A slave to his own hidden agenda. This was something that he was going to finish even if it took all night. Watching the letters that were typed on screen the person smiled to himself admiring his own craftsmanship. His peaceful moment was disturbed by the sound of the door being opened and the light switch turned on. 

"Geez man, do you always have to work in the dark?" Clayton asked his roommate.

"You know Clayton. It's customary for one to knock before entering a room. You should put this into practice next time."

"You're always typing something on that computer and you never say what it is."

"That's because it's inconsequential."

With that line of discussion now over, Clayton took the time to rub his aching jaw to minimize the amount of pain he felt.

"Let me guess," Dirk said with a grin. "You went to go fight Odd for a rematch only to get your face kicked in again."

"How did you..."

"You're just as predictable as ever and you're still making the same mistakes like you always do."

"I had Odd on the defensive but then I overestimated my advantage and left a wide opening for him."

"Look Clayton. Your strength might be a great asset but that alone can not win. Sometimes you don't even need to hit your hardest to send your opponent to the floor."

"You gotta be joking right?"

Dirk's lecture was a little on the confusing end as it advocated that power did not equate to damage being dealt.

"Fine, let this be an example to you."

Dirk rose from his chair and walked over to Clayton. Still nursing his lower rib cage where Odd and kicked him. He opened his dominate hand and stabbed it into Clayton's shoulder. The strike's receiver looked at the peculiar hit and was perplexed.

"What was that supposed to show? That didn't hurt one bit."

"Oh really."

Dirk repeated the attack but this time he aimed his hand into the joint where one's shoulder was connected to the rest of the body. Clayton felt like his entire arm was being stabbed with a razor sharp knife and gripped the imaginary wound to prevent any further injury. Dirk saw the results he was striving for and presented his explanation.

"The tissue in that particular part of the human body is very soft and there are no bones to serve as a buffer zone for the hit. In short you have a very easy to exploit weak point. vulnerable areas such as this one exists all over you and are mainly in parts where the nerves concentrate in a particular area. Some people understand the anatomy of humans so well that they've learned how to kill another man with just a single strike."

"How on Earth do you know all of this?" Clayton said impressed with the amount of knowledge that Dirk possessed.

"I just do."

Dirk returned to his work and continued his discussion all while facing the computer monitor.

"Did you even bother to think of the repercussions of your foolish actions."

"Foolish?"

"You could have jeopardized our reputation amongst the school faculty. We're not common thugs as the rumors depict us to be."

"You're losing me here."

"Have you realized that all of our targets have been students who were giving us a hard time or people that have messed with us in the past? The only reason why I had us attack someone was because we were provoked to do so."

Clayton suddenly had a revelation. At first he just view his fights as simple brawls. He never saw the hidden reasoning underneath all of them until Dirk held it up to his face so he could understand. However, there was one thing that was inconsistent with this explanation.

"Hold it! What about Jin? You almost busted his rib cage and he barely did anything to us."

"I just lost my cool."

Clayton wasn't satisfied with that response. "That answer is not good enough."

"I LOST MY DAMN COOL! THAT'S IT!"

Clayton made the wise choice to just leave his frazzled roommate alone all while pondering what Jin actually said that sent the normally collected individual over the edge.

* * *

Daylight broke through the veil of darkness and with it came faint traces of normality among the Lyoko group. With the weekend at his disposal, Ulrich seized the opportunity to get his homework done. After receiving less than steller grades from his instructors he was forced to pick up the slack to avoid facing any harsh criticism from his father. The digital clock in his room read one-o-clock in the afternoon which meant that his roommate was still in the cafeteria scarfing down his second or third helping of whatever meal was offered. Ulrich scribbled a few more words onto the piece of paper he was writing on and stretched his arms high in the air to get a view behind him just in time to see the door open. 

"Don't you just love the food our cafeteria serves?"Odd said with a beaming smile as he patted his stomach.

"Only you would know of that," Ulrich said frankly.

The brief chit chat ended with Odd going into the closet to acquire food for his pet dog but that action was halted by a painful jolt that originated from his leg. Odd gritted his teeth and released a small grunt which caught Ulrich's attention immediately.

"What happened?"

Odd gave himself time to wait for the pain the die down before he took a seat on the floor.

"It's an injury I got after accepting Clayton's challenge last night."

"Why would you do something as crazy as that!"

"I was asking myself the same question but the guy said if I fought him then he'd stay out of our business and we both know that's pretty good on our side. I won in the end but now I gotta walk around the school with this limp until my leg heals up."

Ulrich extracted all the information he needed and resumed his work only to have his concentration broken by his other friend who occupied the school dorms.

"Hey guys," an exhausted looking Jeremie greeted.

"Woah Einstein! You look like you've seen waaaaaay better days," Odd joked.

"I'm still trying to figure out what the transfer error meant when you guys were virtualized. I know what purpose the hornet served but I have yet to determine the other mysteries that XANA had left for me to solve."

"Maybe it's a mistake. I mean we got away from it just fine. It could be just a glitch in the system."

"Odd, the super calculator does not make mistakes. That transfer error has to mean _something _and there's has to be a reason why no problems were detected."

Odd shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well."

Ulrich quickly spoke as to get a dire question out in the open. "Hey Odd, what did you get for question two for our history class. I'm not too sure of my answer."

Odd raised his index finger and closed his eyes as to convey the image that he was a renowned expert on the subject. "That's easy it's..." Odd's confident looked changed to that of sheer confusion. "Aw crud I forgot. I need to check my paper...that's if I can remember where I left it."

Odd rummaged around the dorm as to locate the missing piece assignment as it served no good to him if it were lost. Odd's search brought him to Kiwi, who was quietly sleeping on the object that Odd sought after.

"Kiwi, get up. I need to us this," Odd ordered.

The small dog only responded by letting out a small yawn for he had grown quite fond of his makeshift bed. It was quite obvious that Odd was becoming slightly frustrated by this.

"Come on Kiwi. That's my homework."

Odd now tried pulling the sheet from underneath his dog seeing how diplomacy had failed for him. As the sheet of paper slid further and further away from its original position and the battle had appeared to be won, Kiwi sprung to life. Not wanting to lose his cherished sleeping area so easily, the small dog leapt into the air and seized the object with his jaws which caused it to tear in half.

If Jeremie wasn't so tired, he would have fell to the floor laughing after seeing such an unreal sight. Instead, he opted to just throw a wise crack at his friend's misfortune to satisfy his craving for humor.

"And here I thought the excuse the dog at my homework was just a lame story."

"What's going on?" Ulrich asked as he was too busy working to pay any sort of attention to what was going on.

"Kiwi tore up my homework," Odd whined.

It was now Ulrich's turn to laugh. "Look on the bright side. If you made a mistake on it then the teacher won't be able to see it."

Jeremie suddenly felt his body go into overdrive after hearing that remark.

"That's it!" The boy yelled out triumphantly.

"Eh?" Odd and Ulrich said simultaneously.

"I'll explain at the factory. Come on and make sure Yumi and Jin arrive there as well."

"Jeremie, what on Earth are you talking about?" Ulrich asked as he did not share the same train of thought.

"I think you guys can go back to Lyoko if my assumption is correct!"

* * *

Numbers and symbols flashed across the factory computer's screen which almost made Odd dizzy with all the movement that was going on around him. The freight elevator's door opened letting everyone else know that Yumi and Jin had arrived. The brother and sister pair still used the "injured leg" ploy as a means for the elder to traverse the city and to hide his condition. 

"So what did we miss?" Yumi asked so that she would receive the latest information.

Odd was the first to respond, "Well, unless you're a big fan of meaningless computer talk then you're not much at a loss."

Jeremie had to fill in the gaping holes in Odd's reply, "I just had a quick idea on what happened and I'm just double checking everything to see if it's correct."

A small electronic beep was then produced from the computer's speakers which filled Jeremie up with joy.

"Success!" He yelled out while throwing both of his arms into the air.

"Got something there Einstein?"

"That I do. Amidst all the questions I had about the attack I forgot to check exactly how the hornet was modified. After running an in-depth scan on it, you can see that it carried an extra code in its programing which explains the nature of the transfer error."

"And that would be..." Odd said while gesturing with his hand.

"I searched the archives for information on your characters when you were in Lyoko and found that the two sets of codes complimented each other."

"Meaning,"Odd continued to ask since he had yet to grasp the situation.

Jeremie sighed to himself as he thought of a way to simplify his explanation to the rest of the group.

"When the four of you were transferred into Lyoko, you all had half of program which caused Jin to be blind. Now, that modified hornet that attacked Yumi and Jin at the tower carried the other half."

"So when I got blasted, that thing took my site with it!" Jin finished. "But why would XANA go through all that trouble if he could have made all four of us blind from the start?"

"Like us, XANA too has his limits although those limits are pushed back every time we return to the past. Because of this, he was unable to install the full error onto your characters and required additional help to carry out his plan. Right now Jin, your sight is still in that activated tower and I've been closely monitoring it ever since."

"But there's one thing that's still bothering me." Yumi said with a serious expression. "If XANA error was able to do all of that, why didn't your computer fail to detect it?"

"It turns out that XANA's limits actually prove to be a valuable aid in his plan. My error detection program used for transfers and the one I use to scout for any ailments on your characters work differently. The transfer error program will warn me of even the slightest change while the later can only detect full problems."

"Which it couldn't since we only had half of XANA's program in ourselves."

"Of course Yumi this will all be changed in the future as the risks of having such outdated programs could be detrimental," Jeremie said seriously. "What if XANA would try to get you guys killed by altering the program?"

"So what do we do now?" Ulrich wondered now that all the facts were found.

"Easy," Odd said casually. "We go back into Lyoko and get Jin's sight back."

Jeremie nodded his head in agreement. "Couldn't have said it better myself so let's get ready."

The easy-going atmosphere that Odd created was destroyed when Aelita's face came into view wearing an expression of dire emergency.

"Jeremie! I sense XANA is up to something."

As if it happened on command, an electronic buzzer rang from the computer. The sound was harsh and cut through the air surprising everyone in the room. Jeremie took on glace at the screen and saw a percentage meter near the activated tower that was ticking down by the second.

"Oh no!"

"Einstein, what's going on?"

"That was my tracer program. According to it, XANA is now _deleting _Jin's vision inside the tower!"

"What's so bad about that?" Said a confused Odd. "It doesn't matter if Jin's sight gets wiped out if we return to the past."

"It's not that simple. Jin's sense is missing from the actual computer that stores all of our information when we return to the past. If those files are altered and we go back in time then they'll permanently be changed. Which means Jin would be blind forever!"

Now Yumi was alarmed. "There's no time to waste. Odd, Ulrich, let's go! Don't worry Aniki. We won't fail."

After saying her parting words, the trio sprinted toward the elevator where they were lowered to the scanner room.

"Ok guys. You're heading back to the mountain region. Time is of the essence so get moving. Aelita is at the tunnel where you first met her."

* * *

The three teenagers stepped inside the metallic pods that populated the room and prepared for their departure. 

"Transfer Odd. Transfer Ulrich. Transfer Yumi."

All three character cards and three-dimensionall outlines were shown on screen.

"Scanner Odd. Scanner Ulrich. Scanner Yumi."

With nothing else left on the preparation checklist, Jeremie hit the final key needed to end the process.

"Virtuaization!"

Jeremie saw three red exclamation marks which signified that XANA's transfer error was still in the computer. However, he had more important stuff to worry about right now.

* * *

Yumi and the others hit the ground running and made their way to the tunnel as planned. 

"I'll be in front." Ulrich said as he dashed forward overtaking the rest of the party. As he passed up Yumi, he expected to see Odd right in front of her but he was nowhere to be found. A quick peek behind him revealed the missing person to be lacking the group still clutching his leg with his hands.

"Odd hurry up! We need you with us!" Ulrich said knowing their limited time schedule.

"Jeremie!" Yumi called out. "How much of Aniki's sight remains."

"XANA has managed to delete about twenty percent of it since you guys arrived so the total is at eighty."

"Eighty!" Came Odd's shocked reaction. He looked on and saw the ever increasing distance that was growing in-between him and his friends. "Go on ahead without me! Clayton messed up my leg and it's slowing me down. No use in you guys getting dragged behind as well!"

Yumi and Ulrich both exchanged nervous glances as they both knew that Odd was an irreplaceable part of the team and without him the upcoming battle would be that much harder but with no other alternative at their disposal, they pressed on.

The two warriors couldn't help but feel a strange sense of Deja Vu as they saw Aelita pressed against the tunnel's walls to avoid detection.

"Jeremie, how many enemies do we have?"Yumi whispered as not to release anything about their arrival.

"There's five blocks guarding the land bridge but we all know that those blocks will be replaced once they're destroyed."

"How much time do we have left?"

"Seventy-five percent!"

Ulrich drew his sword and stood near the tunnel's entrance. "I'll cover the front and we'll smash our way through."

"Sounds good enough for me," Yumi said as she wielded her fan. "Let's go. Ready Aelita?"

The virtual girl gave a small nod and stood behind Yumi and was fully prepared to face the likes of XANA head on.

Jeremie's voice could be heard as he had something important to say before the battle. "Everyone listen up. With the deletion in progress XANA is too busy to send another modified monster at you so don't worry about becoming blind."

Ulrich tightened the grip on his Katana and smiled. "That's a load off my shoulders." His eyes narrowed and took his first steps to the outer perimeter. "Here goes nothing. TRIPLICATE!" Two more versions of himself appeared and he charged out of the entrance.

* * *

As expected, the blocks guarding the tower were not going to let the intruders pass by so effortlessly. The monsters all began to fire into the crowd releasing an endless stream of projectiles. Some made their way into the real Ulrich while the others managed to destroy one of his clones. Already the tide of battle was shifting toward their favor.

* * *

Jeremie was beside himself with the sight. "Ulrich! You're losing too many life points. Move away from the front line and switch with Yumi." 

Yumi too was just as worried. "Do as he says! We can't afford to lose you so soon."

Ulrich looked to his side just in time to see his last clone disappear in a shower of sparks and shook his head. "You know there's no time for that! We need to keep moving."

Ulrich was too busy talking to notice three laser beams fly right past both him and Yumi and into Aelita's shoulder which caused her to fall down.

"Aelita!" Yumi screamed as she stopped running to shield the girl so she could stand up.

Ulrich kept running forward despite the hordes of monsters before him. He approached the gap in-between the boulder gap that they had formed before and much to the astonishment of everyone around him, he stood still.

By now Jeremie was driven to a state of panic. "Ulrich, what the heck are you doing! Take cover."

But he didn't listen. Ulrich continued to stand in place and swat at the deadly projectiles to the best of his abilities. "Jeremie, you know the minute I stop those blocks are going to tear Yumi and Aelita to pieces."

Yumi could sense what the swordsman was trying to accomplish and grabbed Aelita by her arm. With the girl in tow, the two made a mad dash toward the boulders so they could get a much needed break. Seeing his two partners now safely hidden away from the block's wrath but this moment of hesitation proved to be deadly for the young warrior. With an opening in his defenses now created, the blocks changed their firing patterns and all concentrated their fire onto the boy's chest for one devastating attack. The multiple beams of light all converged in one area of the body and knocked Ulrich flat on his back leaving him dumbfounded on what just happened. Ulrich raised his arm as a final attempt to stand again with what little strength he had left all while his body was being erased from the virtual world to be brought back to reality.

* * *

Jeremie watched Ulrich's life point meter tick down to zero and placed his hands over his face. Jin was confused by the small period of silence that followed the panicked gesture as his curious nature got the better of him. 

"What happened to the audio commentary?" Jin said coldly as his dark sense of sarcasm showing no signs of relenting.

"Ulrich's life points just got obliterated and Aelita is severally damaged."

"How bad is severe?"

"Try thirty life points left!"

"No way!"

The elevator's doors opened and Ulrich bolted out of the chamber as he didn't want to miss a single minute of action that was partaking in Lyoko. Before he could utter a word announcing his arrival, Yumi's voice came blaring over the intercom.

"Jeremie, I need a status report right now!"

Jeremie adjusted his glasses as he prepared himself to read off of his computer screen that contained only grim news.

"Odd has yet to make it to the tunnel while Aelita only has thirty life points left."

"Only thirty life points!"

"Let's not forget that XANA has now managed to delete a total of fifty-five percent of Jin's vision."

"Any suggestions?"

Jeremie looked back at his older friend and shook his head. Though getting his sight back was the original goal of the counter offensive, keeping Aelita safe was the primary objective. He silently cursed XANA for the inhuman sacrifice he was going to have to make.

"Keeping Aelita safe is our top priority. I suggest you two fall back to the tunnel and wait for Odd."

"Do we even have time for that!"

Jeremie pounded the keyboard with the bottom of his fist. "I honestly don't know!" He almost pleaded. "But if Aelita is destroyed then we are virtually powerless against XANA so her safety ranks above everything else."

Jeremie expected an angry outburst from Jin but was just as disheartened to see the boy slump forward as if to acknowledge his decision.

Aelita's serene voice was the next one to be heard, "I do not think that is completely necessary."

Jeremie only had the slightest hint on what the girl was thinking and already he was horrified by the thought.

"No, you're not planning to..."

The being nodded her head in compliance to her answer. "That is correct. I wish to proceed with the mission."

This single choice sent shockwaves around the rest of the group.

"What the!" The factory's occupants said almost in unison.

"Aelita, you're heavily damaged from that last shot. If you lose all your life points..."

"I am fully aware of the consequences of my actions but I still wish to follow through with my choice."

"But why?" Jeremie questioned as to understand Aelita's warped logic.

"It is my obligation to the rest of you. I have seen all of the inconvenienced that I have caused for you and I feel that I too should return your kindness also."

"You can't!" Jeremie stammered.

"Please Jeremie," Aelita pleaded. "I have made up my mind already. I wish to aid my Jin as he does so for me countless times."

Jeremie had every single reason in the world to refute the girl's claim but knew that there was no stopping his virtual friend. With his last shred of stubbornness evaporating Jeremie said no more and quieted awaited for Aelita's next attempt in gaining access to the tower. A dull thump echoed across the factory which caused Jeremie to turn his chair in the direction where it originated from. The source of the disturbance was Jin's first as it was rammed against the wall he was leaning on. No longer was he a pathetic case of self-pity. Instead standing before Jeremie, was the definitive powerhouse of raw energy emotion that was absent for the previous two days.

"THAT'S IT!" Jin yelled at the top of his lungs catching Ulrich and Jeremie by surprise with his sudden transformation. "Ulrich, help me get to the scanner room, I'm going in."

If Jin wasn't so hellbent with his wishes to fight, his demand would have sounded downright ridiculous. Still, Jeremie tried his best to talk some reason into vengeful boy.

"You can't be serious Jin. If you go to Lyoko you'll have no way of defending yourself. Not to mention if you make a wrong step you'll fall over the sides of the area into the virtual abyss below where you will be lost."

Still Jin proved to be just as reckless as ever. "Aelita is down there and is risking permanent termination if she runs out of life points. I need to get over there so I can do the same. I'm tired of people fighting my battles for me. It's time I did the same. Sight or no sight!"

Jin proved to be just as headstrong in the matter as Aelita so trying to stop him was just out of the question. Ulrich helped Jin to his feet and lead him to the elevator where he too would step inside the factory's scanners to join the fight against XANA.

"Yumi, I have news to report," Jeremie spoke as to inform the three combatants of this latest update.

Yumi tightened the already constricting grip she had on her metallic fan. Wave after wave of laser fire pelted the rock she and Aelita were hiding behind. The two of them were cornered like before and that fact frustrated Yumi to no end. "This better be good Jeremie! As you can see, things are not looking so well for us."

"Jin has just entered the elevator to be taken to the scanner room."

"He did what!"

"The guy was dead set on going into Lyoko."

The freight elevator opened and Ulrich sprinted underneath its doorway to the computer just in time to hear Yumi's next outburst.

"But Jeremie, incase you've forgotten, he's _blind_!"

Ulrich almost shoved his way past Jeremie as to get into contact with the girl.

"Yumi, Jin and I were talking one the way to the scanner room. He said that this whole thing is his fight too and that it was about time he started causing some damage to XANA. Those were his exact words."

The sound of gun fire droned on until it was but a faint whisper in Yumi's mind. Fighting Jin's battles for him was defeating the whole purpose of bringing him back home. There were several issues that troubled her brother that she hopped the fight against XANA would help cure but this would only happen if Jin chose to confront them himself. For once Jin was fighting for himself in a battle that he choose not to partake in. A faint smile spread across the contours of her face. Maybe this crazy act was the first step in his healing process.

* * *

Odd trudged further across the land bridge that lead to the battle zone as fast as his damaged leg would permit him. 

"Odd listen up," Jeremie's voice was heard over the intercom.

"I'm all ears."

"Jin is being transferred to Lyoko and I need you to escort him to the tunnel."

"Is the guy crazy! How can he expect to shoot a hole through those monsters if he can't even see what's in front of him?"

"Yumi said something along those means also but you know Jin isn't the type to listen to reason once his mind is set."

Odd acknowledged the obvious truth by releasing a small sigh. "So when can I expect the guy to drop in?"

"The virtualization process was just completed recently, so any second now."

"Well in that case I'll just wait for a loud scream followed by a gigantic thud to let me know that he's here."

Sure enough, Odd's prediction came true as he saw Jin plummet like a rock into the unforgiving rocky surface below him. By now most of the pain in Odd's leg had been negated with the effects of adrenaline which allowed him to move at top speed to Jin's location to help the dazed boy to his feet and to the tunnel.

"Geez Jin, you got a death wish or something? You're better off in the factory where it's safe."

Jin's venture into the virtual world was intended to be a personal statement that was addressed to XANA. That even though he was unable to fight, he'd still have enough willpower to toss himself into the fray regardless of his condition.

"Just take me to the tunnel that leads to the land bridge. It's time I payed XANA a little visit for what he's done to me."

* * *

Things hadn't change for Yumi. She and Aelita were both pinned down and had no chance in either advancing or escaping from their shelter. Yumi grew increasingly worried about her brother's emergence in the conflict as his safety was one on her top concerns. 

"That's it Jeremie, I'm going back. I can't let Aniki get himself hurt like this!"

Yumi only had enough time to transfer her weight into her right foot to stand before Jeremie sent her plan to a screeching halt.

"Don't move. Odd is with Jin so there's no need for concern. No matter how tempting it may seem, you can't leave Aelita on her own."

"So what we just stay here!"

It was obvious that Yumi's pattern of thought was obstructed by the emotional turmoil that she was forced to endure.

"No, we trust Odd and Jin to think of a way out of this."

Jeremie looked at the display that contained information concerning Jin's vision and saw the number wind down to an even slimmer margin.

"Come on guys get moving," Jeremie whispered. "Time is not on our side."

* * *

Odd peered over the protective barrier that the tunnel's walls provided to get a good view of the chaos that was taking place and was not pleased. 

"Ok Jin, wish me luck. I'm going in."

Jin gave a thumbs up and Odd set out to help Yumi. He embarked on his rescue mission only to have his entire leg be engulfed in pain and fell onto the wall to help himself stand. The battle had been going on for too long. He couldn't ignore the signals anymore as the had returned in full force to drive the poor boy mad.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Jin said in a voice that was a mixture of bout concern and infuriation.

"It's my leg. It took a pretty bad hit but it's nothing I can't manage."

To justify his claim, Odd took another step forward only to produce a similar scream. Now Jin was beside himself.

"If you go out like that you'll get blasted full of holes even before you lift your arm up."

"Well it's not like I have a choice! It's either I get blasted or Aelita stays behind the rock and you stay blind."

Jin trust his foot out to kick the wall adjacent to him with the sole of his foot. Neither of Odd's options would allow the team to get close enough to the tower to deactivate it. There had to be a way to beat XANA. He just needed to think of it.

"Too bad we're the only ones here. Maybe Ulrich or Yumi could have helped you aim your guns," Odd said off handedly.

Sometimes one can't see the obvious answers until another is kind enough to point them out to you. The same could be said for Jin.

"That's it!"

* * *

"Thirty percent left!" Jeremie shouted to the entire group. "Whatever tricks you have up your sleeve they better used now!" 

Yumi allowed the warning's meaning to sink into her head before she gazed upon the tunnel's opening. There, standing perfectly calm outside was her brother. The sight was almost to surreal to be taken seriously yet it was happening right before her eyes.

"Aniki," Yumi gasped.

Jin brought both of his hands together so that his right palm rested on his left. The fingers in his left hand traced the contours of its companion and began to massage the bones of its knuckle releasing a cracking noise that was very satisfying to hear. Jin placed his right foot forward and stretched his arms behind himself before he took off running, making sure that his hands were inside his white over shirt.

"Some things will never change XANA," the blind boy said with a smile. "Let's rock!"

* * *

WARNING! WARNING! 

TARGET WHITE APPROACHING!

RUN THREAT ASSESSMENT

Final Analysis-

Target white has been rendered unless without aid of vision as result of previous battle. Unable to engage in combat. Ignore target and resume attack on Red and Pink.

**Threat Rating: **F

WARNING! WARNING!

WHITE FAST APPROACHING TARGET AREA.

RUN THREAT ASSESSMENT

Secondary Analysis-

White is about to withdraw weapons and is close to Red. Could aid targets by giving weapons or provide assistance by other means. Must not permit this to occur.

**Threat Rating:** B

COMMENCE ATTACK

* * *

"Jin I knew you were crazy, but this shows that you're downright _insane_!" Jeremie scolded. "How do you expect to help your sister if you don't have a working set of eyes?" 

"Relax Jeremie I already have a suitable replacement."

"Jin, what are you talking about?"

"Just open the window for my camera feedback and you'll know what I mean."

Jeremie did as Jin said and brought up the display that Jin indicated to see the action from his perceptive. As Jeremie saw the blocks getting ready to fire, only then he began to phantom the strategy that was being employed.

"No, way. You're not suggesting..."

"It's about time you got a piece of the action. Think of it as a video game. Except game over means the vision of one of your closest friends goes bye bye for good."

Jeremie clenched the armrests of his chair for all he was worth. Just hearing the explanation of what he had to do caused his pulse to quicken and his brow to crease. He new the battles on Lyoko were intense but now he was directly responsible in the outcome of this fierce exchange. The sight of the blocks charging their cannons to fire proved to be more than intimidating for the newly appointed navigator.

"Jin, there is _no_ possible way I can do this! You'll get blown to pieces before I can even react."

Jin showed no signs of backing off. "Fine. If you're going to freak out on me like that then I'd better tone things down for you then."

Just as Jin finished his sly remark, Jeremie watched the entire picture before him slow down to a crawl. The black and white color scheme used to depict the rest of the scenery was a clear indication that Jin had activated his Lyoko power for the occasion. The gunfighter's ability made things a lot more bearable for Jeremie as now the on screen action was a lot easier to manage and he got down to business right away. Thanks to the block's new concentrated firing strategy, Jeremie's job was a lot easier has now he only had to worry about one potential destination where the lasers would collide.

"Right!" Jeremie shouted. The screen tilted and shook just a tad bit as Jin executed a quick side hop in the indicated direction. The beams of light slowly made their way past the left side of his face only to continue their dubious flight elsewhere. More lasers came at Jin and by now Jeremie was well adapt in calling out where Jin should go.

"Left!" Jin lunged to his left side barely missing the second volley by the skin of his teeth. The pair almost seemed invincible at that moment with their combined skills but was about to change. That last jump forced Jin to exert too much of himself than his body's present condition could handle. The wounds he sustained after fighting Dirk came alive again and devoured his mid section leaving the tender area at its mercy. Though Jin was no stranger to pain, he too had his limits and right now he was being pushed to the brink. Unable to deal with his suffering anymore, he squeezed his sides tight and stopped dead in his tracks.

"NO!" Jeremie screamed out knowing that damage would be inedible if things stayed this way. "Don't stop now."

Instead of directly responding to Jeremie's plea or making a last ditch effort to save himself. Jin just simply stood on the land bridge and slumped forward.

"Ghai would kill me if he saw this."

A single laser flew through the air and punctured through the gunfighter's chest knocking him over. Jin dug his nails into inflamed spot on his body as if he were to claw his own nerve endings to stop his anguish. It was then Jeremie noticed a peculiar detail about the plan that he overlooked before.

"Jin's hands were originally in his shirt," he thought to himself. "Yet they're empty. Was he unarmed?"

The subject of Jeremie's puzzlement looked blankly into the sky and awaited for his rescue from an untimely end.

"Come on Odd," he whispered. "Take your shot."

* * *

If there was anything the Lyoko group learned about XANA ever since the incident with the fake Yumi clone was that the rogue program was also capable of making critical mistakes and today was no exception. Though he had managed to disable the prime support gunner of the team, XANA had forgotten that Jin was not the only one capable of firing such weapons. With the block's attention completely focused on Jin, Odd emerged from the shadowy recess of the tunnel and aimed the sniper rifle at the opposing group. At first he was surprised to see the weapon before him as Jin disguised this motion as an innocent arm stretch but it didn't take a genius to figure out what to do next. Steadying the gun so that it no longer shook in his arms, Odd depressed the trigger before the block's could finish off the decoy in the operation. 

BANG!

The loud shot seemed completely out of place amongst the sound of laser bombardment. It was a sound that should not have ceased to exist but she was happy to hear it. The bullet's path was unhindered and sliced through the monster's hide as if it were made of paper. Odd was overjoyed about his accomplishment and thrust the rifle he was holding into the air out of celebration.

"This is my boomstick!" Odd yelled out before resting the gun's scope against his eye to aim his next shot.

It was the block's turn to be on the receiving end of an attack. Odd's counter offensive was a complete success as the cube-shaped monsters scrambled to regain their formation. No one had to tell Yumi that this was her chance to press the charge into the tower and took her cue to finally leave the boulder's vicinity.

"Hurry Yumi," Jeremie spoke as to rush the battle's climax. "Ten percent left!"

Yumi pinned her own brand of disorder to the block's ranks with a quick fan toss which sliced her unlucky opponent in two. With a wide opening created, Aelita dashed through the survivors and phased through the tower's protective wall.

* * *

It was finally over. Aelita slowly made her way to the tower's entrance to be lifted to a higher level in order to gain access to its control panel. While this was happening, Jeremie sat on the edge of his seat and count down the remaining traces of Jin's sense as the flickered away. 

"Seven, six, five, four..."

Aelita placed her hand on the screen and entered her identification information.

* * *

AELITA

* * *

And still the clock ticked on. 

"Three, two..."

* * *

CODE

* * *

"One..."

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

Ulrich and Jeremie held their breaths in anticipation of the worst but saw the counter frozen in place. Knowing full well that their three day turmoil had ended the two boys exchanged a hearty high-five before Jeremie pressed the return key on his keyboard. 

"Return to the past now."

The Heavenly white light dispersed throughout the factory and covered the land as far as the eye can see turning back the hand's of time back to when things were normal.

* * *

Jin's awareness came rushing back and informed him that he was currently lying on the floor of some foreign place. The electronic beeps and buzzers that surrounded him made the figure realize that he was back in the arcade with the rest of his friends. This superfluous data told the boy that the raid on the tower was over now all he had to do was open his eyes to see if Aelita arrived on time. Jin opened his eyelids wide open and was immediately blinded by the overwhelming visual sensation that he had to take in. He raised his right hand up to his brow to filter out some of the light that came into contact with his eyeballs only to see Odd looming over him with his index and middle finger in a shape of a V. 

"Rise a shine sleepy head," the purple clad teen jested.

Jin rose to his feet and looked Odd in the eye. There was so much to be said about this moment. Appreciations that needed to be vocalized. Celebrations to commence and of course a bright world to face head on. Of course, Jin did none of these and instead reached over and grabbed Odd by the collar of his shirt and began to shake him violently.

"You little prankster! You pulled off that stupid joke again with my CD player didn't you? That's why I'm on the floor all over again."

Odd simply laughed his head off with Jin's unorthodox way of giving his thanks. "Glad to see you're back."

Ulrich and Yumi stopped their rousing game of air hockey to gaze at the commotion Odd and Jin were causing.

* * *

"There they go again," Yumi said matter of factly. 

"Those two," Ulrich finished with a smile.

Though there was some amusement to be found by this sight, Yumi did look somewhat worried.

"Hey Ulrich, you think we should," the girl made a few gestures in the air to suggest breaking up the rowdy pair out of fear of them getting into more trouble but Ulrich waved his hand to dismiss the claim.

"Naw, let them go at it. Cause you know when they're done over there, they'll be walking over here to give us grief."

"Good point. Now serve the puck so I can get back to beating you at this game."

Ulrich slammed his mallet back onto the table and prompted himself for another fierce match happy to re-live such a wonderful moment with on of his closest friends he's ever met. The two teenagers gave each other one last warm look as to inform the other that the meeting they had at the school bench was the only thing that did not come undone after the return trip before they put their game faces on. Though their relationship would never be the same again, this was their way of keeping things normal with the only change made being the further strengthening of their already unbreakable bond together as friends.

END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking**

Well guys, I'm finally going to get the radioplay for the Retelling Series off the ground. I still have a few roles that need to be cast so please visit my website for more information about that. Also, I am always looking forward to having more readers submit fanart for my story. If you have an idea floating in your mind and want to share your work please send me an e-mail. All credit will be given and you would have my deepest thanks.

* * *

**Author Response **

**tanoshi-no-requiem**: Well as you can see, Jin can now see again. Also if there is a Season 2 I don't see a reason why I should Retell those episodes as well.

**Doggiegal**: Glad you like my twisted sense of humor. If it can get more readers like you then I might as well keep going at it.

**Little Vili:** I'll leave the Matrix stuff to you my friend that's your area of expertise, not mine.

**giant evil dust bunny victim: **Yes, quite a few people have asked me about Jin's secret but I can't spoil the surprise just yet.

**the-green-rose:** Glad you really liked Marksman (and that goes to all of you who have forgiven me for writing a two part story). You'll find out more about the story in the "Notes on the Chapter," section so keep on reading.

**NeoDude:** Thanks for liking Jin so much and yes I do feel I sometimes focus on him a bit too much and that's why I wrote this chapter the way I did.

**Trillinka:** OooooO. You were sooooooo close in guessing how Jeremie would help Jin out. Well no harm in trying.

**Wind91rider: **See why I split the chapter in two. You would have gotten a mondo 100 page story to deal with. To make up for all the action in "Marksman" I beefed up the character development in "Second Sight." See? Balance will always exist in this story.

**Flying Star too tired to sign in:** Just keep waiting to hear Jin's whole story and as you can see I'm very much alive and kicking.

**Xavier:** Hope you like my website and this latest chapter. I'm honored that you think so highly of my writing so now there's another person I can't let down.

**Joseph:** Thanks for the congrats on my four-thousandth hit.

* * *

**Outtakes**

Clayton had enough with Dirk's on brand of lecturing today for his information input was on overload.

"OooOooO. Dirk the psychologist. I'm shaking. I'm shaking."

Now Dirk was offended. "Don't mess with a psychologist Clayton. We're a lot scarier than you think."

"Yeah right and I'm the Queen of England."

Just then a group of wanna be trouble makers made their way in front of the troublesome duo.

"You're going down Dirk!" The leader spoke. "After today, you're going down."

Dirk responded by removing a pen and notepad from his pockets and began to scribble some notes down.

"So, how long have you been having these nightmares?" The Korean asked.

This was when the leader screamed. "AHHHH! IT'S A PSYCHOLOGIST!"

A random group member placed his hands over his ears. "Watch out! He'll make you lie down on a couch."

"RUN!" The challenging group said in unison before that all high-tailed it out of Dirk's field of vision. Of course, such a sight wouldn't go unnoticed by the young strategist.

"You were saying Queen of England?" Dirk chuckled.

Clayton hung his head in defeat and began to walk off in the opposite direction. "I'll go get my crown."

* * *

WARNING! WARNING! 

TARGET WHITE APPROACHING!

RUN THREAT ASSESSMENT

Final Analysis-

Target white has been rendered unless without aid of vision as result of previous battle. Unable to engage in combat. Ignore target and resume attack on Red and Pink.

**Threat Rating: **F

WARNING! WARNING!

WHITE FAST APPROACHING TARGET AREA.

RUN THREAT ASSESSMENT

WARNING! WARNING!

THIS PROGRAM HAS PERFORMED AN ILLEGAL OPERATION AND WILL CLOSE IMMEDIATELY.

SHUTTING DOWN

DAMN WINDOWS

So remember. The next time you curse Bill Gates for making a program that causes your computer to freeze remember, it could help save the world.

* * *

Jin ran at the blocks with all he had expecting Jeremie to have his back. He heard all the laser beams whiz by his head and became worried by the lack of direction his computer-expert was providing. 

"Yo Jeremie, give me the heads up!" Jin shouted. Five seconds passed and another shot nearly grazed his ear. He could feel the searing heat on his skin and showed signs of panicking. "Come on man, I'm gonna die out here! Do something and make it quick!"

Back at the factory Jeremie slumped back into his chair with his eyes glazed over without a care in the world. We wore the most carefree of smiles and was giggling to himself to himself. In order to better explain what the heck was going on, a deep booming voice was heard.

"Tell your friends that you couldn't help save the world because you were out getting high last night. They'll understand. Lyoko, my anti-drug. Paid by the associates of a drug-free America."

* * *

As always Danny le fou has brought us two hilarious outtakes from the Retelling Series for use to enjoy so here they are. 

**From Marksman**

Odd watched the chain tense up, but to his surprise, this didn't stop Jin who kept on running, actually moving the machine from its spot.

"Maybe I should tell him I was joking." he mused as his friend disappeared in the street, oblivious to the arcade machine he was now dragging behind him, much to the amazement of the onlookers.

* * *

**From End of Take**

He approached his sister's sleeping form and draped the set of headphones over her ears before pressing the play button.

Yumi's eyes instantly snapped open as her entire body stiffened, like she was being electrocuted, actually jumping a good two feet above her bed. Confused, Jin looked at the CD inside the player.

"Heavy Metal's 20 loudest hits in history – Guaranteed to wake the dead… Oops."

The sound of cracking knuckles was heard, and Jin was now staring at his very awake, and very murderous sister. He grinned sheepishly as he ran away.

"Huh, sorry, sis, XANA attack, gotta go…"

* * *

**Part 2**

Jin stared blankly at the zombies that now crowded the streets. "You know, when they said 'guaranteed to wake the dead', I don't think they meant it THAT way."

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter**

FINALLY, after all those months of waiting I've finally finished the Marksman story arc. This is by far the longest chapter I've ever wrote and it is also the story I wished to write from the beginning of the writing process. Also if you guys haven't noticed, my other story that I wrote with BloodVampire "Virtual Hot Seat" was removed from this website for being in script format and being interactive. Seeing how I could be banned from this sight if I do something like that again I think it's understandable if I don't try to re-submit it. Sorry but rules are rules.

What I tried to do in "Second Sight" was make a chapter that had Jin as the main victim but not as the main character. Sure he had his moments here and there but essentially he got the least amount of spotlight from the rest of the cast. I was inspired by this style of storytelling from XIN where you saw more of the after effects caused by the situation rather than the person who generated the problems. If you look at it, this chapter really focused on Odd and Jeremie as they were the essential people who thwarted the XANA attack. I wanted to write a story where you saw the repercussions to Jin's blindness and how those around him dealt with the problem rather than just writing about Jin moping around.

When I said that this story would be a warm up to Routine I meant that in more ways then one. Sure it sets up XANA's character messing capabilities but I also threw in some good old fashioned Yumi and Ulrich WAFF in there to be fair. Jeremie and Aelita fans got their fare share so it was time for that potential couple to get some well-deserved attention as well. Like I said in Cruel Dilemma, writing WAFF is extremely hard because one botched sentence and you can send the entire scene tumbling over like a house of cards in a wind tunnel.

My main goal in this chapter was to make sure that every single scene carry a great deal significance to the overall reading experience. Character's interacted in a certain way, answers were uncovered and even the fights proved to be valuable plot devices to get the characters to do certain things. The hardest part of writing "Marksman" and "Second Sight" was that I had to come up with a reasonable explanation to everything single detail. I didn't want to leave you guys scratching your heads going "How the heck that happen?" I tried my best to give you an original crisis in Lyoko that would seem like it would belong in the regular episodes. Also, did you guys catch the Garage Kids refference? It's pretty well hidden in the story. I'd thought it would have been a funny joke to throw in there just for kicks.

Now Odd fans. Remember that fight in "Deja Vu's Recruit" and I'd say I had something big planned. Well this is it. I hoped you enjoyed all the glory our friend got and let's not forget about Samantha. I normally don't introduce characters earlier than the TV show but I had to make an exception. Seeing how all the other males were having discussions with their "significant others" I might as well do the same for Odd in the sake of fairness.

Sorry for the long time you guys had to wait. I have a busy schedule and a little brother that's addicted to Ragnarok and Counter Strike which gives me about two hours max on my computer every other day. Not to mention when I wrote this I actually got physically tired and I would have to rest and sleep because it just took so much out of me to think of everything. That's all I have to say for myself. I hope you guys enjoy this reading marathon so please leave a review and don't forget my website. One more thing. I was helping a writer with their ACC Shadow and their fic in general but I've lost the person's e-mail address. If you were that writer I was conversing with please send me another e-mail with your questions. I'd really hate to leave you hanging like this. Well with that said thanks for reading this super long chapter and I deeply apologize for my slow progression in this story.


	15. Intermission: Part 3

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Code Lyoko since I only have about three dollars in my bank account which isn't enough to purchase the series.

**Special Thanks:**

Too all my readers out there who have yet to think I gave up on this thing. I'm still alive and kicking!

* * *

Intermission (Original Side story): All I Wanted Was a Story

Now I'm sure that this is a bit strange to see. You guys are expecting a massive chunk of text to entertain you and you're wondering where the story is. Well my fellow reader's the latest chapter is brought to you in AUDIO FORM. That's right, I finally finished the first ever episode of the Retelling Series Radioplays. Since I can not give you the link here all you gotta do is follow these simple instructions.

1. Go to my profile and click on the link to my homepage.  
2. Click the fanart section on the website.  
3. Scroll down to the voice acting section and click the link that says "Episode 1: All I Wanted Was a Story!"  
4. Once at the deviantART page locate the button that says download to desktop and enjoy!

I hope you guys like our audio rendition of our favorite series! I'm sorry for giving you another intermission chapter but I am writing the next one as we speak and it's gonna be a doozy. Expect to see yet another twist added to the Retelling Series!


	16. Episode 12: Girl of the Dreams

**Special Thanks: **

To all my voice actors and actresses. We're so gonna rock the radio plays!

**Disclaimer: **

I don't own Code Lyoko. (Insert joke on how it would be cool etc.)

* * *

Nighttime over took over the city that Kadic Junior High resided in allowing the moon to reign supreme in the twilight sky. The white sphere illuminated a brilliant white glow which basked the houses and landscape in it's gentle embrace shielding the slumbering citizens from all fearful images as they were carried away to their own private paradise in eternal bliss. 

However, for one teenager residing in the Ishiyama household, such protection was not granted. The child tossed and turned in the tangled covers that were draped across the bed. Incoherent sentences escaped into the air. Carrying little meaning to anyone else other than the suffering resident. The teenager's mind was invaded with a multitude of horrific images bombarding the subconscious until it reached it's breaking point.

Quickly the child came back to the world of the living free from the tormenting that sleep brought. A hand was placed on top the chest to feel the racing heartbeat underneath demanding rest. The images were no longer as concrete as they were before. Instead only vague concepts and outlines could be traced and deduced on what the experience had to tell. It felt so...so familiar. Something from the past. Something from the past that should have been laid to rest. Now with that sudden revelation in mind the small sweat beads that accumulated on the occupant's head accompanied by sorrowful tears fell harmless onto the bed sheets that were being clenched by tightly wound fist.

"Why now?" The younger Ishiyama spoke in disbelief. With her thoughts now straightened to the best of her abilities Yumi gently rest her head back onto her pillow to go back to sleep.

"I guess Aniki isn't the only one who needs help."

* * *

Episode 12: Girl of the Dreams

* * *

**Scoop:** (Noun) _An exclusive news story acquired by luck or initiative before a competitor._

One of the single most important words in a reporter's vocabulary. Having the right scoop separated the seasoned reporters from the part-time hobbyist and allowed one to showcase their top story as if it were a badge of honor.

Unfortunately for two struggling school new specialist the requirements of a scoop-worthy story was that it had to be interesting enough for the general public to want to read and there was nothing going own at Kadic Junior High that fit such a requirement.

Milly and Tamiya found themselves in a familiar setting that morning. Resting their backs against one of the many trees that populated the campus, the two girls struggled to find a story exciting enough to report.

"Why do things start to slow down on the day of our broadcast?" The pink-clad girl wined. She then proceeded to throw her hands up in the air as to share her despair with the rest of the world.

Tamiya only responded with a quick hum of agreement as she was too busy cleaning her camera seeing how its immediate use was not required at this moment. Her partner did have an overwhelming tendency to become a bit of a drama queen in her own right but it wasn't something to really bicker about.

Already on a roll, Milly continued her miniature rant as to vent some of her frustrations so that they wouldn't drive her bonkers during her classes.

"We got an update to shoot and nothing is special is going on. What the heck am I gonna say? Our top story today is that there is no top story!"

"Just give it a rest." Tamiya answered back calmly still looking at her camera. "Aside from being reporters we're also kids too you know. Think of this slow news day as a well-deserved vacation for us. We could always talk about boys like we always do."

Tamiya giggled at her own suggestion which only caused Milly to react with a twitch of her eye.

"How can you be so calm around a time like this!"

"Just relax will you. I'm sure something will come up. You gotta be patient we these sort of things. We only report the news, not make it ourselves."

Suddenly the sound of a human screaming was heard. It flew across the courtyard and let every student within earshot know that it's creator was in a great amount of pain.

Tamiya already knew what was going to happen next and turned on her camera as she anticipated the set of orders Milly was going to give her.

"Never a dull moment."

* * *

"Another day another attempt at materialization,. Time to launch the program." Jeremie announced.. 

The young genius pressed the enter key on his keyboard and unleashed his latest masterpiece of coding into his computer. Letters and numbers traveled across the monitor's glass service at lightening-quick speeds as they set forth to transforming what was now virtual to that of a being of flesh and blood. Unfortunately, bending the very laws of reality was a difficult task and soon those very same symbols faded away only to be replaced by a giant exclamation point surrounded by a red circle.

Jeremie was livid. Certainly now his materialization attempts have totaled somewhere in the triple digits. Where did he go wrong? He had spent countless hours and many sleepless nights going over this program picking out all of its errors underneath his magnifying glass of scrutiny so that by the time it was going to be used it would be perfect.

Well almost perfect. The thing did fail in a a second later, leaving him at square one Jeremie knew that the task of bring virtual being into the real world was not impossible. It was just that with each brand new failure that showed up brought feelings of inferiority and despair closer to his doorstep.

"Darn it!"

Jeremie vented his anger by slamming his fist against his desk which cause the computer resting on top of it to rattle slightly.

"I'm so...so...useless."

That last word came out as a whisper but it was the final nail in the coffin that buried his self-confidence. Jeremie sank lower into his chair and rested his forehead against the very same area he struck just seconds ago.

"There is no way I can do this," he said; still in his slumped position.

This was not the first bout with melancholy that Aelita had seen ever since she met the young prodigy, In the past all that Jeremie would do was take a deep breath and went back to the drawing board. Never before did he call himself useless. Almost by reflex Aelita established a connection channel with the troubled boy and tried her best to console him.

"Jeremie, do we get along well in the real world?"

That was a question so off topic, so random, so like Aelita to ask. The amount of confusion that was generated was large enough to pull Jeremie out of his self-loathing slump as he tried to grasp the girl's unique sense of curiosity.

"What sort of question was that? You know full well we do."

"Well in the real world, I wouldn't wish to have a best friend that's useless."

Jeremie felt his ego deflate once he realized that the virtual girl just pulled the old bait and switch on him. It was at this moment that Odd opened Jeremie's door and stood impatiently outside.

"Hey Einstein, we need to get to class now. You want to be late like you always are?"

Jeremie released a small sigh. It was hard to keep track of time when you were busy looking for the one code that could save the world. Though today's coding session was a failure, it did serve some means of productivity. Maybe just one last shot and he can go.

The computer user twiddled in fingers in the air to limber them up for their next exercise.

"Hold on," Jeremie said to his guest. "I'm going to try just one more time to get this thing right; useless or not."

Odd was shaking his head and wondered why he bothered to even try prying the guy away from his computer. It was almost futile.

"Whatever, man. I gotta go."

A few minutes later, Jeremie pressed the return key which launched his latest program into the depths of the Lyoko data stream and grabbed his laptop so that he could leave. Each night he worked on this we could feel that he was getting closer and closer to his goal. He was already there once by chance now he just had to do it again to prove to himself that his intellect and not a bag of candy can save Aelita.

* * *

It was going to be a while until Aelita would see Jeremie again and already she was preparing herself for the long wait. She made her way to the mountain region and looked for a quiet place to rest. Once the location was settled she proceeded to sit down and cross her legs, getting into the perfect meditation position. All external thoughts, worries and troubles were purged from her mind and Aelita felt herself at peace with the rest of the world. 

Minutes passed by before a disruption was sensed. She could feel it, another presence nearby. Only coded with the knowledge to instill fear and destroy. Aelita jumped to her feet to see the menace but only found a giant ball of fire coming at her. With one last scream for

* * *

Jin clutched his right foot as tightly as he could to stop the pain receivers in that area from driving him crazy with their messages. Already screaming his head off and hopping on one foot, the teenager invoked more laughs than sympathetic thoughts. 

Ulrich and Yumi halted their movements completely perplexed with what was going on.

"You ok Aniki?" His sister asked.

Jin pointed an accusing finger at the cart that currently he and Ulrich were pushing in a similar manner as a lawyer drawing attention to a suspect in a highly televised court case.

"This stupid thing ran over my foot that's what!"

Jin then shifted his focus to his sister, giving her an exaggerated angry glare.

"You just _haaaaaad_ to bring this to class huh?"

Ulrich was a bit befuddled on why the two siblings were arguing with one another as he had yet to find out the actual context of the conversation they were having. Since he was helping the two with this endeavor, he was entitled to at least know this aspect of information.

"So Yumi, what exactly are we pushing? This whatever of yours weighs a ton."

Ulrich saw the Japanese girl smile hinting that whatever happened last nice was indeed a humorous experience.

"First off, that thing is not a "whatever." It's a priceless heirloom that's been in our family for hundreds of years."

"Consequently it weighs hundreds of pounds also," Jin exaggerated.

Yumi ignored Jin's rambling and continued on with her explanation.

"It's for a report in our class. Each student needs to select a country and do a brief report on it so naturally I choose Japan as that's where I was born."

Jin cleared his throat loudly as to inform his sister of her slight oversight.

The Japanese girl looked a little flustered by her mistake. She must have gotten carried away with the moment.

"I mean, where _we_ were born."

Ulrich could already see the conflict that surfaced when such stipulations were arranged.

"So how did you two decide who got to use Japan in their report?

"Well, Aniki and had resorted to a very fair, unbiased and decisive method of setting this dispute."

Jin rapidly shook his head in shock as he remembered what means of "persuasion" his sister used on him.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU BEAT ME IN ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!"

"Figures," Ulrich said with a small smile on his face. Watching the strange way the two twins interacted with one another was truly a sight to behold just for the entertainment value alone.

With that tangent finally out of the way, Yumi ushered Ulrich's attention back to her for she was about to arrive on the home stretch of her story.

"Of course since I planned to use such a large item we then had to agree on who pushed it. Jin saw this as a chance to reclaim his "lost honor" and challenged me to another game, which I easily won again I might add."

"Thanks sis," Jin said through clenched teeth as to hide the embarrassment he was feeling.

"I love you too Aniki," Yumi replied as she playfully waved at his direction.

"You know Yumi, if this is a family heirloom then maybe the entire _FAMILY_ should help push it," Jin hissed.

Yumi folded her arms across her chest and laughed at the predicament Jin was in and his attempts of being intimidating.

"Well Aniki, a deal is a deal. Just be grateful that Ulrich was nice enough to help you push the cart. I can always ask him to stop."

Such a treat took the wind out of Jin's emotional sails. His facial expressions did a one-eighty as he gulped in fear and waved his hands in a defensive manner.

"Let's not be brash here!" He said in a nervous tone of voice before he pressed up against the cart and began moving it toward the classroom with Ulrich's aid.

* * *

Having a headline that said "Kadic Junior High Student's Foot Gets Run Over by Cart" didn't contain the necessary amount of punch that could draw readers much to Milly and Tamiya's disappointment. They silently thanked Jin for his boisterous antics as he proved to be the best distraction as not to alert the older students of their presence. With one lead already explored Milly focused her reporter eye upon the draped object being moved by Jin and Ulrich and had an idea.

* * *

The three teenagers made it to Yumi's class with little incident and spotted the storage cabinet that was set aside for this occasion. While Jin finished the deed of making sure that the large object was ready for the presentation, the other two were lounging the day away. 

"So why go through all this trouble just for one report?" Ulrich asked again as to strike up another conversation.

"Our teacher is weird like that. At the end we're supposed to have a big finish that should dazzle the class in some way and this is mine."

Jin made his presence known by making another surprise entry into the discussion which slightly startled the others.

"Of course, Yumi will never be able to beat what I got up my sleeve for my report on Korea," he said with false bravado and arrogance. Jin rubbed his hands together as if they were coated in invisible soap to get his point across.

Ulrich knew that the boy was lost in his own little world and went back to talking with the gothic girl.

"So when are you going to reveal your thingamabob?"

Yumi grinned already envisioning the astonished look on her classmates' faces. "At the end of my report. It's going to be a real show stopper! Worth an A I hope."

Since Jin had the pleasure of joking around all day Ulrich decided to try his hand at being the comic relief for once.

"Well you never find something like that in my house. First off you're whatchamacallit doesn't go with the drapes in the livingroom."

Well Ulrich succeeded in getting at least one person to laugh, that person being Yumi. She gestured toward the door as to signal that their business inside the classroom was done and they made their exit, but not before taking a few shots at Ulrich's ego.

"Whatchamacallit? Thingamabob? The thing I like about you Ulrich is your rich vocabulary."

Jin rushed to Ulrich's side as he saw that they were leaving and joined in with is sister's laughter much to Ulrich's expense.

"Come on guys," the brown haired boy groaned. "Was it really that funny?"

The two twins gave each other a mischievous grin proceeded to playfully rub Ulrich on the head at the same time succeeding in getting him to laugh along with them.

* * *

Milly and Tamiya listened to the trio's laughter and used it as to gage their over distance away from them before the crept toward the closet that held Yumi's mystery item. Not wasting another second, Milly opened the cabinet and patiently awaited for her partner to center her camera. Unlike her previous shootings, this one was not planned so she had to make up the story as she went along before arriving to the scoop's climax. 

Tamiya's steady head did not falter and she was able to capture Milly's image dead center of her camera giving her the thumbs up so that the report could start.

"Hello fellow middle school students!" It was a classic line Milly used to being all of her broadcasts. "This is seventh grade reporters Milly and Tamiya here bring you the school news."

The camerawoman slowly backed away from the energetic reporter so that she could get a full body shot of her along with the rest of the scenery. The move was executed as if it were done a million times in the past although the shoot had a more freestyle feel to it.

Milly made a dramatic gesture to the blanketed object with her dominant hand without missing a beat in her speech.

"Now you may not know this but something strange is hatching. In our request to bring you the latest news, we present to you this expose on what's hidden underneath this drape."

A small tug and the gray blanket fluttered to the floor by the mercy of gravity revealing a rather frightful piece of Japanese samurai armor underneath. The large towering item of warfare was painted blood red, giving it a savage, primal look at it. The sight sent chills down Tamiya's spine. Looking into the helmet's empty void, she could have sworn that there was another presence shooting glares as if she was the subject of Milly's story. Subconsciously she tilted the camera to the floor, unable to concentrate on the news anymore.

Such actions quickly caught Milly's attention.

"Tamiya, is there a specific reason why you're filming your feet?"

Tamiya could feel her vocal cords juggling an answer between them forcing the girl to stutter in the process. Once their little game of catch had finished, she was able to compose herself in a small degree and tried her best to hide her fear.

"Not really...but I just had a thought. Maybe this isn't the big story we're looking for today. "A special expose on what's hidden underneath this drape?" Sounds a little lame to me."

Milly was ready for a verbal counterattack but stopped short when she began to see the underlying truth of her friend's answer.

"I guess you're right but this was the only thing that was going for us. What are we going to do now?"

Before any further strategizing could commence, the school bell rang loud and clear, letting all the students strewn around campus that their first class of the day was going to begin according to schedule.

"No time now," commented Tamiya.

"School started already!" A slightly shocked Milly asked. She quickly pressed against the cabinet, not noticing that they were still open by the time she turned her back to them and bolted out the door.

* * *

Change was in order. 

No, correction.

Change would become a necessity. Failure was not a result that should be tolerated. If direct means of attack have proved to be insufficient and only wasted time for achieving his goal. No more will he rely on electronic charter buses, little girl's teddybears and of course military satellites. It was time he settled things himself. A direct approach was in order today.

Still, how can he do such a simple task. He was far too weak now to use a human. However, a weapon used by humans was a different story. This piece of combat armor is the perfect host to carry out this agenda. How ironic. Using a piece of human history to obliderate the existence of mankind. Ironic indeed.

Now if only humans can grasp such irony.

* * *

Sometimes Odd wondered why he even bothered coming to some of his classes. Sure he enjoyed the aspect of getting an education here, to a slight degree, but he enjoyed sleeping in his dorm much more. The teacher had yet to even open his mouth and already Odd could feel his eyelids getting heavy. Any minute now he was going to let out a loud yawn, he just knew it. 

And then it came.

It was clockwork really. If he'll see a boring lecture then...hey...wait a minute! That yawn did not belong to him. It sounded like it came from behind him.

Ulrich had the perfect view in spotting the sleepy culprit which was indeed the sweater wearing tech head.

"You know Jeremie, most people use their nighttime hours for sleep," he whispered to his neighbor.

"I was up trying out a new program that would materialize Aelita. I was really close this time. I could feel it!"

Odd wasn't sleepy anymore after hearing that golden opportunity to interject his trademark humor into the discussion and make things a bit more lively around him as they were looking quite dead right now.

"And what are you going to do when she finally comes here? You were never really good with talking to girls Einstein."

Jeremie could sense another battle of wits that Odd was brewing with that statement. When it came to his intelligence verses Odd's smart alack remarks, for some reason intelligence would always lose.

"You know better than that Odd. With Aelita it's completely different."

"You're right Jeremie it is. With Aelita you would freeze up five seconds into the conversation instead of just the normal three second mark."

Once again, intelligence lost this debate and the principal's entrance into the class halted anymore possible rematches.

"Hello there students," Mr. Delmas greeted. He spoke with a sense of friendly authority that left no question behind as why a person like him was in charge of all aspects of Kadic Junior High. "Before you begin your first lesson, I would like to introduce a new student to you."

The principal's eyes focused on a being that stood in the hallway and ushered the student inside.

"Come on Taelia, everyone here is just anxious to meet you."

Odd went for double or nothing when it came to his battle of wits with Jeremie. Looking forward to piling on even more damage he set up his next hypothetical situation.

"Ok Jeremie, let's run a test. Pretend the new student is really Aelita in flesh and blood. What are you going to say to her?"

Just to humor Odd and get things over with between them Jeremie looked to the front of the room and was instantly floored.

"Oh...wow!...I...uhhhh," he stammered just as Odd predicted. He laugh at Jeremie's current facial expression as he just sat there without a care in the world

"Beep, times up. Sorry bout that but it goes to show you Jeremie. You can use a few lessons in flirting."

Jeremie was about to go off on a tangent on how pointless the activity really was but Odd interrupted that though.

"Now watch and learn Einstein. Maybe next time you won't turn into a human popsicle whenever a girl braves the elements and talks to you."

For Odd, wooing girls came just as naturally as eating breakfast or blowing blocks up in Lyoko. Of course he would remain faithful to Samantha but she wouldn't mind if he brushed up on his lady killer ways for her sake. Putting on the most suave face he could think of, Odd turned the charm up to maximum level.

"Taelia is going to think that she's the luckiest girl in the world after meeting me," he thought to himself. Of course this example was immediately halted by the first glimpse of the new girl. There was no need to pretend that she was Aelita. The facial structure, the stance, even her taste in colors all brought back vivid memories of the pink hair girl on Lyoko.

"Now way, I don't believe this."

It was apparent that today was going to be a really long day.

* * *

Yumi and Jin casually strolled out into the sunny campus of Kadic Junior High to enjoy their break. 

"Ok sis check this out. If you had the chance to beat the daylights out of XANA, what would you do?"

Yumi turned her head to the side and shot Jin a quasi-serious glance.

"Aniki, you shouldn't be talking about stuff like this in public," she warned.

"Give me a break here. You know the thought as crossed your mind at least once. I would personally go Jackie Chan and Jet Li on him. I'd be like HIYA! And he be like AHHH! And I'd go WA-TA and he'd be all NOOOO! Then I'm all like WHOA-WA-SHA-SHA-SHA! And he'd be STOP, IT HURTS!"

By now Jin was pretending that the rouge computer program was right in front of him and he was beating the living daylights out of his imaginary partner with every martial arts move he had in his repertoire. Of course due to human nature and people's desire to blatently stare at whatever interesting they come across; he was drawing quite a crowd who were all scratching their heads trying to figure out heads and tails of the scene. The ringing of her cell phone came as a welcomed distraction to the Jin-induced randomness.

"Yumi, it's Jeremie."

"You couldn't have called at a better time," the girl answered; greatly embarrassed by her older brother's antics.

"I need you to meet as at the usual place and bring Jin as well. This is something you gotta see!"

Only traces of Jeremie's message made their way into the girl's ear as Jin was currently yelling out battle cries as if he was the living incarnation of Bruce Lee.

"I can't hear you! Aniki thinks he's in a martial arts movie right now and he's making it really hard for me to catch what you're saying. You have no idea how I'm feeling right now."

Jeremie looked out of the corner of his eye and felt a wave of humiliation creep over him.

"Believe me, I think I can emphasize."

Odd too was practicing with an imaginary sparing buddy as he swung at the space around him making exaggerated karate yells. For some reason he was preparing himself for a fight in the real world just incase XANA ever worked up the guts to face him in a fight. Of course this was done under the slightly confused gaze of his best friend.

Yumi had no idea of what sort of chaos Odd was causing over at the meeting place and headed over there making sure that Jin came along for the ride.

Saving her brother the trouble of falling on his face like he always does whenever he participated in a physical activity such as martial arts; Yumi dragged Jin out of the giant circle of people he created and walked to the benches much to his disappointment.

"Aw c'on sis. I was going to do a backflip for my big finish."

"Aniki, we both know you can't do that move. Remember, James Finson."

Jin's eyes lit up in realization of that fact, "Oh yeah. You're right."

Jeremie and others were in sight and Yumi was hoping that the sport of air sparing without reason would be short lived. Of course such wishes were unanswered once she caught a glimpse of Odd.

"Ok Jeremie, we're here," the gothic girl said loudly as to instill some means of productivity to this peculiar meeting. "Why did you call us here?"

The person the question was addressed to pushed his glasses back and spoke in a collected manner.

"Something strange happened in our first period class today. A new student by the name of Taelia was introduced to us and she looks just like Aelita! I was surprised by the resemblance."

Jin rested his chin in the crook between his thumb and index finger, contemplating the girl's name.

"Taelia..." he said to himself.

Odd brushed off the small specs of dust that had accumulated on his prized pair of purple pants and invited himself into the discussion seeing a prime outlet for one of his jokes.

"You should have see Einstein when he saw the new girl. He froze up and looked ridiculous. Kinda like this."

Two seconds later, the group was looking at an exaggerated recollecting of what happened a few class periods ago with a goofy grin performed by the self-proclaimed practical joker of the Weirdo Bunch.

"I like to call it the Jeremie Look," Odd said with pride as if he was giving the title to a cruise ship

"Is Taelia nearby by any chance?" Yumi asked trying her best to keep a level head with this latest finding.

Jeremie pointed a finger at the lone girl sitting on a adjacent bench reading a textbook. It was now Jin's turn to be wearing the "Jeremie Look" as he stood still with his mouth gapped open in surprise. Fortunately for everyone else, Yumi was a lot more practical in dealing with such a debacle.

"She certainly looks like Aelita, that I can't deny." Yumi sounded more focused an analytical with her observations. "But if it really is her don't you find it the least bit strange that she has yet to recognize us?"

An index finger was soon raised as to dismiss the claim for Jeremie already anticipated a question like that.

"Not really, she could have gotten amnesia from the materialization process and not remember us."

"For some reason I'm not entirely connived by the point you're trying to make but then again neither of us can be sure until we talk to her first."

An exchange of nods between Odd and Ulrich went by undetected and the two roommates hoisted their girl-shy friend over to the bench Taelia was sitting at. Odd knew that Jeremie would be too shy to talk to the strange female and loosened himself up for another go with his overwhelming sense of charm.

"Hey there Aeli...I mean Taelia," three words into the introduction and already a slip up. He had to be careful with such a sensitive issue. "My friends and I were wondering if we've seen you around. You look pretty familiar and we thought maybe we saw each other before."

The sound of a textbook being closed was the next audible sound that followed the question. Taelia did not looked to pleased. Certainly there were better reasons why one would disturb her reading and such a question did not warrant this.

"Oh please spare me," the mysterious girl said in a huff. "Everyone knows that's the oldest pick up line in the world. Next time you want to hit on me, leave your two friends behind so we can talk one on one."

Ulrich and Jeremie were happy that the witnessed this rejection. It was worth the walk.

The young Romeo was flustered. Never had he encountered such hostility from a member of the opposite sex. Such an occasion left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Hey, who said I was trying to pick you up!" He said in an attempt to save face. "I was trying to make conversation with you as you looked pretty lonely right now."

"Not really," Taelia said casually.

Who did this person think she is? It looked like getting the answer he wanted out of her was going to be a tough gig which was perfectly fine with him. Odd always liked a good challenge.

"By any chance do virtual worlds, crabs and buzzing monsters mean anything to you?"

Taelia rose to her feet, book bag in hand and began to make her exit.

"Yeah it means I should be moving along now."

The gloves were coming off. Odd had lost too much of his pride to let this meeting go to waste. He had to dig up some bit of useful information for his sake alone.

"Wait a minute! Would it be alright if you told us where you came from or if you have a family?"

Now that question hit a tender spot in Taelia's psyche. She needed to go..._now_.

"Sorry but I have to leave," came her almost sheepish reply leaving behind a slightly ticked off Odd in her wake.

By now the effects of the "Jeremie Look" had worn off on Jin and he was able to accompany his sister as she made her way through the throng to meet the younger trio.

"So Odd, what did she say?"

"It's not her," he said quickly as to save himself any further humiliation.

Ulrich wasn't going to let such a golden moment slip by unnoticed. He just had to tell Yumi what had happened.

"He's just mad that he got the brush off. Good thing you don't charge money for your lessons as I would ask for a full refund with results like that. Man, Taelia got you good."

Again Jin heard the name and began pondering once more.

"Taelia," he repeated quietly as to reclaim his derailed train of thought.

"Well Jeremie, do you still think those two are the same person?" Yumi asked as to see if his theory was still standing.

The computer genius was almost offended by such allegations for he was, without a doubt, the most knowledgeable person in the group when it came to all things Lyoko.

"We must assume that all possibilities have the same probability of occurring until further evidence suggests otherwise. In the history of mankind there has never been a case of a virtual program being brought into the real world. With such a radical event that has graced us we can only adopt this doctrine of thinking for now."

When it came to arguments about codes and computers Yumi was completely defenseless from the vast volumes of knowledge Jeremie had accumulated over time. There was nothing she could say to sway his opinion to her side of the debate and until she acquire enough experience with the super computer herself, the matter was closed. Still, she could not silence the voice in the back of her head saying that this was all wrong. It just didn't _feel_ right.

"It's so like the steel element," Yumi muttered underneath her breath remembering the time she discussed the principles of Taoism with Ulrich.

By now, Jin's pondering paid off for he had discovered the underlying reason why he was so intrigued by the name.

"Hey guys, I just thought of something!" He said cheerfully.

The rest of his friends listened in anticipation. Maybe the newest member of the group had discovered some sort of hidden clue that was overlooked. They were yearning for answers.

"If just figured out, if you rearrange the letters in Taelia's name you get...Leatia!"

Then again maybe not.

"Aniki, what does that have to do with anything!" An exasperated younger sister asked.

Jin bowed his head in shame. "I just wanted to say something."

Again, the responsibility of being the voice of reason rested upon Yumi's shoulders. "Hey guys maybe we're going about this the wrong way. If Taelia really is Aelita then that means she wouldn't be on Lyoko anymore."

For a split second Jeremie felt his body pulsate with energy egging him on to do something.

"Great idea Yumi! I'll start a scan on Lyoko right away!"

Much to the disagreement of everyone, the school bell system sprang into acting and cut through the campus making it's presence well known.

"Well you'll have to wait till after class to do that," Ulrich said glumly as he wasn't too thrilled of listening to lectures today.

Yumi placed her hands on her hips and struck a slightly cheesy pose. "Wish me luck on my report guys!"

Too preoccupied with the mysterious origins of Taelia to notice, the younger generation failed to acknowledge her request.

"Thanks guys," came her disappointed reply.

The truth of the matter was that she needed something else to think about. The Taelia/Aelita connection proved to be the perfect connection of keeping her thoughts from converging on her nightmares. No one else was the wiser. Not even her older brother could tell what was really going on. The same older brother who was walking toward her direction; smiling without a care in the world.

"Let's get to class now. We don't want to be late for our reports."

Yumi wasn't in the mood to think about her scholastics just yet. There was something else on her mind right now.

"Actually, can you do me a quick favor?"

Asking was just a formality. Jin's overprotective nature would never allow him to turn down her request. Today was no exception.

"What is it?"

"Tell our teacher that I would like to practice my speech outside first before I come to class. I'm sure she'll let me."

Jin nodded in agreement and walked toward the school to deliver the message and left Yumi alone with her thoughts. Which was exactly what she needed right now.

* * *

If one were to leave Jeremie occupied with his inner occupants, he would go completely stir crazy. This whole mystery was just driving him up the wall! One simple search, just one little scan on Lyoko could answer all the questions that were stock piling in the back of his mind. 

"That's it Odd, I can't take it any longer," he whispered. "I'm going to run that scan now!"

Before a single word of objection could be voiced, Jeremie shot his hand straight up into the air to call his teacher's attention. Mrs. Mayor's keen eye caught the extended appendage in no time flat.

"Yes Jeremie?"

"Can I go to the infirmary now...uhh...I feel a little sick."

The standing student titled his head forward and let his glasses slide to the base of his nose giving a puppy dog quality to his plea. He struck pay dirt once he saw the worried look on Mrs. Mayor's face.

"Sure thing Jeremie. I hope it's nothing serious."

Wanting to see the results of the scan for himself, Odd too raised his hand as to request his dismissal from class.

"I'll make sure he gets there! You never can tell...right?"

* * *

The staircase's corridor which was normally empty around these hours was now filled with the echos of plodding footsteps making their accent to boy's floor of the dormitory building. 

"This school is pretty strange Einstein."

Such words of worriment were so out of Odd's character that it immediately Jeremie off.

"Now that's interesting. The last time you thought about this place was when the lunch lady refused to give you a fifth helping of breakfast a few weeks ago."

"I just find it funny how easy it was for us to get out of class. All you gotta do is say that you're sick and you get a free pass to the infirmary no questions asked. You would think some students would abuse such things."

"And this worries you how?"

"Who said I was worried?" Odd laughed, returning to his old self. "I just wish it was easier. I could afford to miss a few lectures here and there."

"Yeah like how you can afford to have a few more Fs lying here and there on your report card."

Odd looked up at and gave Jeremie a small applause. Then pretending that he was holding a microphone with one hand, Odd spoke in a phoney announcer voice that sounded ridiculous all together.

"Congratulations, you just cracked your first worthy comeback. Got anything else to say to your loyal fans."

Jeremie was not in the mood in humoring anymore of Odd's jokes with this situation. He saw the stairway exist to the boy's floor as the most practical way of backing out of the question and seized his chance. Already at the entrance to his room, Jeremie made a beeline to his computer to establish a connect with Aelita fumbling with his prized headset as a result of his haste.

"Aelita, are you there? It's Jeremie."

Nothing. Again he spoke.

"Are you there Aelita? I would really like to talk to you now."

Odd played the role of the sensible one now since Yumi was not currently with them.

"Maybe she's stuck in one of XANA's traps like a giant snowstorm or something and can't hear us."

He had done it. He had done the impossible. Jeremie had just broken every rule of science, natural order and common sense known to man with this latest achievement. He had defied the odds, beat the clock, laughed in the face of disappointment. It was over. Their long conflict with XANA was now coming closer and closer to it's inevitable conclusion. However, more importantly she Aelita was now on Earth. Once her memory came back to her the two of them along with the others can finally enjoy the normal life that kids their age were entitled to.

"Super nuclear!" Jeremie yelled out in excitement.

"Whoa, settle down there we don't want to be caught by anyone snopping around the place."

Odd felt strange with his newfound responsibility of keeping a level head. It just felt...different. He had to crack a joke now just for the sake of normality.

"And besides Einstein, what did we say about you using that awful exclamation?"

"It doesn't matter Odd, I did it!"

"You mean you found Aelita on Lyoko?"

"No! Aelita isn't there since she's materialized now. Taelia is Aelita Odd!"

The spiky-haired artist was the second person Jeremie had failed to convince today. Something was amiss today but he couldn't put his finger on it. Somehow, things were falling into place a little too easily for his liking. This minor detail was something that Jeremie was more than happy to overlook.

* * *

It was supposed to be over for her. No more nightmares, no more sleepless nights just no more memories. These were thoughts she thought she buried a long time ago. Doomed to rot in the bowls of the forgotten for two years. However, this wasn't the case. Horrid images such as these do not ease with the passage of time. There was no such thing as a clean slate anymore. 

The piercing question was why. Why after only two years of slumber did they come back to her. Then the answer came barreling at her like speeding train.

"Ulrich," she whispered sorrowfully.

These thoughts were not the only thing she was hiding from the rest of the world. The time they spent together at school, sitting on the bench alone was indeed pleasant. In that one peaceful night they shared everything with each other. Their secrets, hopes, fears, triumphs and tragedies, all laid out in that one intimate meeting under the starlight. It was then she knew that she lov...understood the boy for what he really was. A good friend.

Of course such blissfulness did not come at a price. When these dormant emotions were allowed to surface so did this resting nightmare but it didn't make sense! She was beyond this, stronger than it, yet she was still suffering. There was only one way to handle the situation, just like how it was taken care of two years ago. Yumi choose to swallow her tears. Shallow them, painfully and alone putting these troubled emotions behind her just like always.

Well that was enough sulking for one day. Yumi wiped the watery droplets from her eyes and slowly walked to her classroom. This had to wait...she had a report to give.

* * *

Jin had just finished arranging all of the Japanese trinkets Yumi was planning to use in her presentation. All of this was attributed to yet another loss in his "favorite" method of decision making. 

"Note to self, never challenge your sister to rock, paper scissors ever again," the Japanese boy grumbled underneath his breath.

The classroom's door swung open and granted Yumi entry into the area, all the students took noticed.

"Sorry I kept you waiting. I needed to practice," came her heartfelt appology.

She made her way to the front of the room and started. Now it was clear as day that Yumi needed anything but extra training as she appeared to be a natural speaker. Every object that Jin laid out was meticulously explained using a combination of eloquent speech and graceful hand gestures. Such style left the class at a loss for words.

"Now I would like to remind you that this is all but just a glimpse of the rich culture of my homeland."

Again Jin cleared his throat loudly with that oversight.

"I mean _our _homeland sorry," Yumi swiftly got over that speed bump and proceeded with her report. "Well in order to fully explain the history of Japan that would take me hours and I'm sure you guys wouldn't want to put up with me that long."

The students roared in laughter with that clever joke. Yumi smiled to herself. She had them eating out of the palm of her hand. Now all that there was left to do was unleash the big finish and leave them gasping in surprise.

"To end my report I'd like to show you something that has been passed on for generations. It's a living symbol of Japan!"

Radiating in confidence, Yumi threw open the cabinet's doors and prepared for the amazed awes that were to soon come her way. When met with nothing but stillness and apathy she immediately became worried. Looking into the closet Yumi saw her first major surprise today.

"A drape!"

There was only one force on Earth that could pull off a caper such as this. It only took one glance at the burnt out electrical socket to confirm her suspicions.

"XANA!" She whispered.

By act of mercy the bell for lunch rang and she ran as fast as they could out of the classroom ,with her brother in tow, to meet the rest of their friends. XANA had just made the first move and now it was a race against the clock to control the damage he was going to cause.

* * *

"Must...rest...now," were Tamiya's last words before she flopped down on her bed to take in a much deserved nap while Milly dragged herself to the room's computer to work on a few extra articles that demanded her time. Sure it was against school rules to be in your room during instruction hours but frankly they didn't care. After scourging the campus for their prized scoop, they thought they were entitled to bend the regulations just a bit. 

How Milly worked up enough energy to turn on the gray PC and open all the necessary programs so that she could read the upcoming articles would never be known. She would never understand why some writers were allowed on the news team, sure they could form a grammatically correct sentence but their submissions lacked that punch that drew a reader in. It was going to be another day in the editor's chair for her.

A message window popped in front of her workspace shortly after which was totally unexpected.

**Paradox38: **Hey, isn't it a little bit too early to be relaxing on your computer?

Milly's body snapped into attention with that encounter. She was a bit hessitant to answer but her drive to know the identity of the person on the other line was too strong and pulled her tiny fingers on top of her keyboard.

**AceReporter:** Excuse me?  
**Paradox38: **Oh come on. You know they said.

Not wanting to debate the contents of the school's rule book anymore, Milly changed the subject.

**AceReporter:** Can we get off this topic?  
**Paradox38:** Touchy, aren't we?  
**AceReporter:** It's not my fault. I could be talking to a complete stranger here. How on Earth did you get my screen name.  
**Paradox38:** Sorry if I scared you Milly but I do not think introductions are needed as we both know each other very well.

This was scary. This person had just called her by her first name. Such information wasn't acquired so easily as she made absolutely sure that only a select few were aware of her internet identity.

**AceReporter:** This is just too creepy  
**Paradox38: **You shouldn't be so frightened. Isn't it customary for all the students who work in the news program to submit their screen names to a central database so that it came be accessed by all the members?  
**AceReporter:** Hold it! I don't remember seeing your name in the database.  
**Paradox38: **That is true. I was a last minute entry. Seems your supervisor took a liking to all of the guest articles I've written and made me a honorary participant. Course I still get to do my own thing and write whatever I wish to write about. Life is good

The gears in Milly's head completed their slow rotation and proverbial lightbulb turned on brightly.

**AceReporter:** VAFER!  
**Paradox38: **(chuckles) That's more like it. I'm glad you recognized me  
**Paradox38: **Anything special on your side of the fence?  
**AceReporter: **Hold it! Why are you accusing me of being in my room when you breaking that same guideline yourself.  
**Paradox38: **I apologize. That wasn't an accusation. It was more of an obvious statement of my observations. So how goes the news hunt?  
**AceReporter: **Terrible. Tamiya and I have been searching all day and we're dead tired and still empty handed. Now I'm stuck editing these lackluster articles from the other writers.  
**Paradox38: **Hmmm...mind if I get a quick look?  
**AceReporter:** Sure, why not

A few mouse sweeps and keyboard clicks later the file was ready to transfer.

**AceReporter wants to send file** _newspaper.text_  
**Paradox38 has received file** _newpaper.text_

One a couple of minutes pass by before Milly found herself reading Vafer's opinions on her computer screen.

**Paradox38:** I think I just found the cure to insomnia. lol  
**AceReporter:** LOL!

**Paradox38:** Good thing I have a simple solution that will shape up your friend's writing styles so that you don't have to bother me with such things again.  
**AceReporter:** Really? What is it?

Several moments passed by and no response. Milly was beginning to wonder what was going on.

**Paradox38:** !  
**AceReporter: **What's wrong?  
**Paradox38: **I think Jim is on this floor.  
**AceReporter:** Are you sure about that?  
**Paradox38: **I'm sure of it. I can hear the guy singing loudly from the other side of the hallway. Good thing I left my door slightly open for this occasion. Great if I try to make a break for it he's gonna spot me for sure.  
**AceReporter: **Then are you going to just stay there?  
**Paradox38:** Like I have a choice. Shouldn't you be more concenred about yourself than me?

Milly glanced at Tamiya's sleeping figure behind her. Waking that girl up from a nap was like trying to reanimate the dead. It was simply not going to happen anytime soon.

**AceReporter:** I'm stuck too.  
**Paradox38:** I'm going to peek out and see what I can see. I'll keep you posted of my findings.  
**AceReporter: **Good luck  
**Paradox38: **Thanks...I'll need it

-------------------------

There's nothing like the enjoyment one got by belting out a good Frank Sinatra tune now and then. Contrary to popular belief, he did enjoy his job to a great extent. To put it bluntly, he liked working with kids. Being a PE teacher to him was fun, well it had to be or else he would go crazy. Sure Odd, and the others gave him his fair share of headaches but it was all in good spirit. Especially that graffiti painting of him looking like a king. Jim really did regret not taking a picture of it before they washed it off the wall. It was worth preserving.

Do what you love and love what you do. That was the motto he carried around along with his prized headband and signature bandage he always had on his face. He wore that phrase with a badge of honor which could be the rational why he upheld so many other extra responsibilities at the school that no other teacher would be willing to accept under normal conditions. Which reminds him, he still had to clean up all the pipes and tools he left near the boiler room, surely someone would trip on them if he didn't. Oh well, some time later. Right now, he had to finish his scan and turned the corner as to complete his duties.

There, at the other side of the hallway stood another person staring a hole straight through him wearing...samurai armor? Ok, this was going to be filed under the "Weird things I normally don't see" section of his brain. However, peculiar or not, he had an obligation to enforce the rules.

"Hey you!" Jim bellowed as to get the stranger to notice him. "You know the policy around here. Nobody is allowed in this building until class is over and what's with that ridiculous costume?"

No response. Was thing guy making fun of him or something of that sort.

"What's this person's problem," Jim whispered feeling an eerie feeling crawl over his body as to warn him of some unforseen danger. Judging by the intruder's large size, he was not a student of Kadic Junior High nor one of the employees. Now was not the time to be taking any unneeded chances. He was going to handle this situation by the book.

Jim reached into the pocket of his red jacket and withdrew the walkie talkie that was issued to aid him in such situations.

"Mr. Delmas, this is Jim. Listen sir, I'm on the boy's floor in the dormitory building and I have spotted a suspicious person directly in front of me. I'm requesting further help in this manner as I am unsure of what to do right now."

* * *

This was not part of the plan. The objective was simple. Locate each and every enemy agent and incapacitate them to prevent further interference on Lyoko. Instead of engaging these desired targets, he was faced with the bumbling fool of a P.E. teacher that he has seen in the past. Getting spotted was an option best left unexplored and being seen by human authority figures was just as undesirable. The only path left to take was to silence the witness. A course of action that seem quite suitable for this situation. Besides, these ancient weapons of war must be tested on new targets to gauge their combat effectiveness for later so why not start collecting data now. Who knows, such experimentaion on this unwilling specimen can be enjoyable in some sick perverse way.

* * *

Jim could feel his orders lump in his throat. The once seeming docile intruder seemed to be a hostile alien from beyond. Nothing in his years of experience could prepare him for such an arrangement. Overwhelmed by the sight of a floating piece of blood red armor filled only with a murky black cloud, Jim was paralyzed with fear and offered no resistance to the metal sword that pierced through his clothes and flesh of his arm carving a gigantic gash across his upper torso. Before his mind could even comprehend the amount of pain he was now in, the sword made a second cut. Another slash was made across the fresh arm forcing Jim to endure more misery. The injured being didn't even have enough strength left in his body to scream as the Samurai took the katana's handle and smashed it on top of the poor man's skull. Jim's body went limp and fell to the floor in a heavy thud. All of these played out before a slightly open door not too far from the area.

* * *

A fatality was not needed at the moment. Causing a death so soon in the operation will only compromise it. There was little need nor desire to slay this buffoon. By the time he would come back to consciousness, the objective would be complete. The Japanese katana was a formidable weapon without a doubt but time has dulled the blade to a partial degree, Normally such a strike would server the victim in half but now it can only cause serious flesh wounds. It was time he left. There were goals that needed to be accomplished and a craving for violence and bloodshed that needed to be satisfied.

* * *

Milly was at the edge of her seat and was almost sick with worry about Vafer's predicament. Hoping with every ounce of her body that he was still undetected. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her messaging window pop back up again.

* * *

**Paradox38:** MILLY, GET OUT NOW! 

Such urgency was uncommon for the normally level-headed writer.

**AceReporter:** Huh?  
**Paradox38: **When I say get out now, I mean it! LEAVE ALREADY!  
**AceReporter:** At least tell me what's going on  
**Paradox38: **There's no time! You and Tamiya need to get as far away from this building as you can  
**AceReporter: **But she's still asleep  
**Paradox38: **I don't care if she's on her death bed! You two need to scram.  
**AceReporter: **But what about you?  
**Paradox38: **I'm going to try to figure out what the heck is going on here. I have a few leads to investigate and I need to know the truth. I just need to take care of one thing before I leave. All that you two need to do is get out. Understand?  
**AceReporter: **Ok, just be careful  
**Paradox38:** I will  
**Paraodx38 has signed off on 12:32 PM**

* * *

So, this was the way he was going to die. By some act of mercy or cruelty Jim found himself clinging onto the last thread of lividity in his tired body. It was pointless to try to stand up. He was too dazed and the pain sensation in his arms too much to bear. The cuts by themselves would not be the result of his demise, it was going to be the loss of blood that was going to do him in. Now too weak to even sit up, Jim resolved to just wait out his final moments with eyes slightly open as to great death with a rebellious smile. 

The faint sound of footsteps could be heard now. Probably it was the intruder coming back to finish the deed off.. As he prepared himself for the worst, Jim could feel the muscles in his left arm getting tighter cutting off as if they were being wrapped with something; cutting off the feeling in that appendage. The same process was repeated with the other arm in no time flat and Jim was able to piece together what was happening.

"A tourniquet to stop the bleeding," Jim's mind said.

The footsteps grew louder and were accompanied by the sound of clothes rustling as to suggest that this unknown benefactor was stooping low.

"You won't die," the rescuer said dryly.

What threw Jim off the most was the tone the individual used. The male voice showed no effort in trying to be soothing or reassuring. It sounded more forceful; like a command as to motivate Jim to press on. Nevertheless, Jim found just enough willpower to do just that. Just in time to see the principal with several police men and Nurse Dorothy behind him.

* * *

Yumi impatiently drummed her fingers against the cafeteria table, an action that was mirrored by her older brother, while she contemplated what was going on with her family's artifact. 

Given such dire findings, Ulrich wasn't the least bit worried with what had just happened.

"Maybe on of the other students took it," he casually suggested.

"Don't forget about the burnt out electrical outlets. This could be the work of XANA," Yumi butted in.

Odd stired the food in his tray out of boredom before he spoke.

"Well if it is XANA then we can't rely on Aelita to help us as we couldn't get in contact with her in Lyoko."

Jeremie slammed his fork down, impatient with his friend's refusal to accept what was now proven fact.

"Odd, we couldn't connect with Aelita in Lyoko because she's not on Lyoko!"

"Chill out Einstein! You don't have to be so loud, this isn't the sort of thing we want to spread around here as you said."

Jin slid out from his sitting position and adjusted his trusty headphones so that they rested comfortably against his ears. Staying in the cafeteria arguing with one another wasn't going to get anything accomplish. It was about time something useful got done.

"Well then, looks like we got something to look into," Jin spoke with a smile. "For sure news of whatever is happening has circulated the campus like wildfire. I'll check into these rumors to see if we got ourselves a prankster or a deadly computer virus pestering us."

Yumi nodded as she too was troubled by the bickering.

"You do that Aniki. Keep us posted if you find anything."

Jin walked out of the building to play detective around the same time the principal arrived with an armed escort of policemen.

* * *

Why was this happening! 

How can one man hurt so many people!

Nurse Dorothy had just finished signing the release forms for all her patients who needed to be transferred to the local hospital which were the most serious cases she saw all day. Reviewing her paper work, the nurse couldn't help but be moved to tears by the seriousness of the injuries these people sustained.

For crying out loud, they're just _children_! No human could exert such cruelty on the innocent. This was beast. A beast incapable of remorse or sympathy that should be struck down by the hand of karma.

There was only one case that brightened her day and reassured Dorothy's faith in people. When Jim was found she couldn't help but notice the two bed sheets tightly wrapped around the man's arms to prevent anymore blood loss. Two other bodies found near in dormitory building were found in a similar condition. Bandages were applied to bleeding areas in a similar fashion. Whoever was doing this possessed was knowledgeable in the realms of first aid well beyond the capabilities of your average person. Dorothy let her mind wandered to think about the identity of this kind soul briefly before she went back to her paperwork.

* * *

"Check out the entourage," Ulrich commented. 

The students inside immediately took noticed of the group's presence and quieted down as to listen to what the man was going to say.

"Attention everyone. I would like to call to your attention to a string of attacks that have been occurring on our campus. Several students and our very own Jim who I know you all respect and admired have fell victim to these malicious assaults."

Odd couldn't help but snicker at the false image the principal had of Jim as it indeed was self-delusional.

"Let's not go overboard with the compliments Mr. Delmas."

The quip was not heard by the principal who proceeded with the announcement.

"The attacker was wearing armor. The armor of a samurai. If anyone here as information that could help the police with their investigation please come forward."

Now this simple case of lost and found turned into something a lot more sinister.

"We can't waste anymore time. XANA is on the move!" Yumi exclaimed.

"We have to get to Lyoko, find Aelita and have her deactivate the tower," Ulrich added on.

Jeremie was almost disgusted with his friend's lack of faith in his findings. If only they would _listen_ to what he had to say then they could save him the massive headache he was feeling right now.

"When are you guys going to get it into your thick heads!" Came his aggravated accusation. "If XANA has possessed the samurai then he's going to go after Taelia. It makes sense doesn't it? Because Taelia _is_ Aelita!"

The rant could have been longer but an exchange of gestures between the principal and the lead detective of the case caught his eye. A few moments later the two men walked over to Yumi's end of the table catching the girl by surprise.

"Excuse me Ms. Ishiyama," came the principal's gentle greeting. "This is Donald Brass of the police department who's leading the investigation of the case and he would like to have a word with you."

Officer Brass gave a small wave to confirm his identity and went ahead with his request. "Listen, we are aware that the armor sighted in these attacks does indeed belong to you and your brother. Would it be alright we you answered a few questions for us?"

Yumi had no other choice but to cooperate. "Well Aniki just stepped out so I don't know where he is right now but I'll be willing to go with you."

Yumi joined the ranks of the police escort and was lead out of the cafeteria leaving the boys behind to think of their next plan of attack before the danger that surrounded escalated.

* * *

Dirk had just finished drying his wet hands with a paper towel and approached the giant double doors to the school's library which he considered it to be his private sanctuary. Of course it was hard for the facility to maintain such a tranquil atmosphere when you had a ticked off Clayton looking straight at you. 

"Where the heck were you man? I didn't even see you in the cafeteria getting a bite to eat."

Dirk brushed the question aside, "I had things to do that lack the requirement of you hovering over my shoulder."

"Is that you Dirk?" Came the elderly voice of the library attendant not too far off.

"It's been a long time Mrs. Winters. I see that you've recovered from your recent operation."

The older women waved her hand through the air as to dismiss the topic. "Bah, I tell you two things Mr. Kap Hwan. First off, don't call me Mrs. Winters, it makes me feel old. Just call me Barbra."

Dirk chuckled at the request. "Duly noted, and the second thing?"

"I'd rather be working here than just lying around in the hospital. It's completely boring there, a woman at my age needs some excitement in her life. At least I finally got to reading those books you suggested for me to read."

"Oh really? So which psychologist did you like reading the most about: Freud, Erickson or Jung?"

"Well the truth is..."

It was at this part of the conversation when Clayton would usually stop paying attention to what's going on. One of the most closely guarded secrets of Kadic Junior High was that Dirk was a serious bookworm. He shared such a passion for the literary world and with psychological studies with Mrs. Winters who worked the front desk of the library as the two became fast friends.

At first Clayton dismissed this other side as a means of Dirk keeping up with his "good image" but this conclusion changed once how much his best friend was enjoying himself..Clayton saw Dirk smile. Not the devious smirk he would wear whenever he was about to execute a well thought out plan, but a honest-to-goodness smile from the heart. Not knowing how long the two were going to keep on talking, Clayton took a seat at the table farthest from the entrance and picked up a book that detailed the history of film making which he had been reading so far. The chair he sat was a little bit wobbly on account of some of the screws being loose but that didn't matter.

At the other side of the library Mrs. Winters retreated to her office in the back to take care of her other duties and dismissed herself from the boy's presence allowing him to join Clayton at his table.

"What kind of dribble are you rotting your brain with now?" Dirk questioned.

"Hey man, you got your taste, I got mine. You don't hear me making fun of the story you're reading." He paused to think of the title as it was at the tip of his tongue. "Affair of the Three Castles?"

Dirk corrected the mistake, "It's Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It tells the tale of the warring states in ancient China and is considered to be a classic."

A few minutes pass by before Clayton disturbed the quiet mood that surrounded him to ask Dirk a question.

"Hey man, did you hear the rumor that's be going around?"

Dirk didn't even bother to lower his book down and stop reading.

"What did I tell you about getting yourself involved with such school yard dribble. These things do not serve a use for me."

"Hey don't be so uptight. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Then voice your true intentions rather then hiding them behind this gossip rubbish. However, if you think this is so important then just let it out as so we can bury this issue early."

"Well, apparently Yumi brought an entire suit of Japanese armor to school today for her report only for it to get lifted later. Isn't that funny?"

Clayton patiently waited for a response but saw that Dirk reacted by just turning the page in his book.

"Is that all?" The Korean boy asked with his face still buried in his story completely unfazed by the story as if he heard it before.

"Well yeah."

"Hardly worth something for me to put my book down for. Though I will ask you this for the sake of conversation. Who do you suppose took that thing? Certainly it wasn't us."

Clayton scratched his chin and looked around the paretically empty library as he searched for an answer. There was only on other student in this school who held a grudge against the Weirdo Bunch which instantly made him the prime suspect.

"Bruno," Clayton said with a serious expression.

"Now if only the police force had more people like you. I was thinking the same thing."

As if on cue, Bruno's rude gruff voice made itself known without an invite.

"You two talking about me?"

Dirk _still_ had yet to turn his focus away from the gripping story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms despite the apparent danger he was in. Clayton was not so easy going.

"Of course we are as we think you're the only kid around campus big enough to carry that thing out of the classroom. Now for the sake of a good laugh why don't you tell us how you did it?"

Bruno was overcome with anger with that request, "You got some serious nerve to ask me for another favor! Last time I helped you, I ended up sucking grass blades in the forest. Tell your "boss" that he can't plan for his life and he's just a small fry who'll never amount to anything in his life!"

That did it. Dirk calmly closed the covers on his book and slowly set it down on the table so that he could stand up and confront his taunter.

"I believe you got my attention with that remark. Care to retract that statement before someone gets hurt?"

"Fat chance loser. Why don't you..."

Dirk had enough with the boy's insults and kindly asked him to stop...by shoving the palm of his hand deep into his solarplex. Bruno doubled over in agony. In one swift motion, Dirk seized Bruno by the back of his head and shoved it dangerously close to the table's corner where he held it in place.

"Isn't it amazing how one strike can take down a person twice your size. Now I was going to let you go but since you wasted my precious reading time I think I'll press into this manner. If you wish to avoid having a concussion at the ripe old age of fourteen then you're going to tell all that you know or else you and Mr. Table here are going to have a very forceful meeting!"

To his credit, Bruno was a lot smarter than he looked as he saw no benefit of having his head cracked open like a grapefruit.

"Ok, ok you win! First off I didn't swipe that thing. Heck I didn't even know Yumi had that kind of hardware."

Clayton wasn't buying Bruno's story one bit. "How do we know this guy is telling the truth?"

"I don't think he has the guts to lie under these circumstances." To prove his point Dirk inched the other boy's face even closer to the corner. "Am I right?"

Bruno was in a state of panic, "It's the truth! Honest!"

"Now go on."

"Well I was walking to class and I overheard two cops saying that there was some guy wearing Yumi's samurai gear attacking a bunch of people around school."

Dirk and Clayton were mildly repulsed with what Bruno had to say. Not even the likes of them condoned such senseless acts of violence. The student being interrogated kept talking.

"That all I know man. It sounds pretty stupid I'll admit but it's the truth!"

Dirk released his grip on Bruno's skull and watched him leave in a huff. He wasn't going to do anything about this as he was too afraid to admit his defeat. Now free from any further distractions, Dirk picked up his book and began to finish the exciting chapter he was reading before.

"Armature."

* * *

This was growing tedious. Sure one can admit that attacking the harmless masses was indeed enjoyable but now the activity has grown old. Such collateral damage has dulled the ancient blade by a slight degree impaling its effectiveness slightly and jeopardizing the success of the operation. 

The "personal touch" as reduced the enemy of mankind to nothing more than an a stray dog aimless wandering the school's hallways in search of five students. Such a lowly existence indeed.

Library back entrance.

Hmmm, this could prove to be promising.

* * *

Metallic creaks and groans filled the vacant library as a result of Clayton fidgeting in his defective chair. Such a racket caused Dirk to slam his book down for the second time that day. 

"Will you stop making so much noise. I can't hear myself think."

Clayton shrugged his shoulders and a gave a quick, "Humph," to show his annoyance.

More noised invaded the air. Rhythmic clanks and scraps echoed across docile book shelves and seeking shelter in the Troublesome Duo's eardrums driving Dirk mad.

"You're acting like a complete child Clayton! I told you to be quiet."

The larger boy gave off a confused reply, "What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything."

"Then what's that noise then?"

"It's not coming from me, that's for sure. Look, I'm not moving at all."

Dirk scanned the image in front of him and saw that not a single muscle on his enforcer's body was in motion yet the sounds in the library were becoming louder and louder. Something was amiss and the collective experience that the pair had all pointed to one source. Trouble.

The Korean tactician spoke first. "Someone else..."

"...is here," Clayton finished.

A split second later, the pair jumped out of their seats and hit the floor in a rolling motion, dodging the Japanese blade that intended to cut their heads off. Dirk quickly stood up and faced the giant attacker only to be taken back by the un-Earthly sight.

"Is this _thing_ even human?" He had to ask his voice wavering in-between being amazed and fearful.

The wobbly chair that was being tormented moments before was now being used as a makeshift weapon.

"Human or not, let's see if it can take one of these!"

Right on the samurai's breast plate, the heavy steel chair made its impact knocking the receiver back a step. The blow from the hit was so massive that the loose screws holding the piece of furniture together fell off causing the rest of the chair to do the same. With only the back frame left to hold onto for protection, Clayton was powerless to stop the samurai's next attack.

Straight down the middle, that's where the next cut was directed. Slicing the thin metal bars in the middle of the metal object the student was holding along with his torso all at the same time. Dirk averted his eyes from the sight. He covered his ears to avoid listening to his best friend's scream for help and seeing his mangled body hit the floor like an unwanted rag doll.

This red bastard had just crossed the line. Running was not an option anymore nor should it even be considered an option. He was going to take this monstrosity down and he was going to enjoy ripping this aging hunk of whale bone apart piece by piece. The anger inside flowed through his veins like liquid fire but it did not cloud his judgement. If he wished to combat this foe then he was going to need a weapon. Sure he was a formidable fighter with his bare hands but against a sword, his martial arts skills would not matter.

Even up until now Clayton had his back. The two halves of the chair's back looked surprisingly familiar.

"Just like a tonfa!"

Quickly Dirk grabbed the two iron rods by their "handles" and was now armed with a set of makeshift weaponry worthy of doing battle with. The adrenaline now coursed through his body putting him in a state of heightened alert. The sword came at him again but it appeared to be at a slower speed. Already anticipating where it would go next, he gracefully spun out on its path and closed the gap between him and his opponent which allowed him to retaliate.

"THIS ONE'S FOR CLAYTON!"

Dirk raised both of his tonfas in the air and rammed them viciously into the samurai's chest as if to pierce his imaginary heart. He drew his arms back a split second later only to ram them into the same area again, again. Blow, after blow, he rained his hits down as if his arms were like an engine's piston. With each successful strike, the samurai faltered a step back until it was pressed against wall at the human's mercy. Dirk drew his arm back one last time, gathering all the energy and rage in he had stored for one last finishing strike.

"AND THIS ONE IS FOR ME!"

Of course a human being outside of Lyoko couldn't defeat the likes of XANA so easily. Heart and determination could only get you so far before the dire odds you were fighting against finally catch up to you. Dirk never got to land this final blow. For the time it took him to draw his arm away and yell out his statement of intent, the samurai's gigantic gauntlet collided with his jawbone shattering it into a multitude of piece like a broken china plate. The last thing he could remember before the world around him grew dark was flying in the opposite direction.

* * *

If there was one thing Jin learned about the student body of Kadic Junior High, it was that they _loved_ to gossip. Currently the samurai attacks was the new buzz story going on, trumping any news about celebrity romances and secret crushes. Some students looked into it with a sort of morbid fascination while others sought shelter in groups abiding by the motto of "Strength in numbers." Sorting what was fact and what was fiction was going to be a hard task in itself. 

Suddenly the sound of broken glass coming from the library caught everyone's attention nearby as it brought the entire campus to a standstill. At first the students thought it was the work of some prankster who worked up enough courage to throw a rock through the pane but noticed that the black projectile flying out of the window frame was too big. It looked almost...human.

Flying through the air at this moment was not a rock...it was a body! Dirk's body he would realize later as he was the closest one there. The being's accent soon halted and dropped hard onto the unforgiving bed of glass shards that formed underneath him. Jin quickly rushed to his enemy's side only to cower away in fear after seeing the bloody mess, his hemophilia kicking into high gear.

No one deserved to be mangled like that. Not even his friend's worst enemy.

As fate would have it, the police squad that surrounded Yumi and Donald Brass saw the grisly sight and began to seal off the area and call for an ambulance.

Both twins screamed and were completely frozen. It was only a brief moment so no one else noticed but that small pause felt like an eternity for them. In a blink of an eye the moment was over and the visions ceased to be for the time being.

The lead detective spotted Jin and figured out his identity rather quickly thanks to his close resemblance to his sister and gave him the same speech he gave Yumi back at the cafeteria. Too shaken to say no, Jim joined the police's ranks and was lead to the principal's office for further questioning.

"Why us?" Yumi begged to the powers that be as if they would silently answer her call for help.

* * *

There's a serious lack of common sense in this world as Yumi, Odd and Ulrich had proved so. Why on Earth did they continue his findings despite the overwhelming evidence in favor of this claim. If they were trying to drive him to his wit's end then they were doing a good job at it. 

Still, something _had_ to be done. If Taelia and the samurai ever met then the end result could only end in tragedy. Sure he could defend himself in a fight in the real world, his recent run ins with the Troublesome Duo supported this, but he was no warrior. Protecting an innocent girl from the likes of XANA would usually rest on those three same people who were being accused of having a faulty sense of logic. This wasn't his role to fulfill nor his expertise to take advantage of but it was his responsibility now. Taelia was Aelita, and Aelita needed his help right now!

In the end, that's all that really mattered. Aelita had to remain unharmed. Plain and simple. She said that in the real world she would not like to have a best friend that was worthless. Well, the first half of that statement came true, now all that was left was to make sure the second part did the same.

* * *

With all the hustle and bustle her day had brought her, Taelia had yet to settle down in her room and make it her own. She was going to be here for a while so she had to start getting comfortable sooner or later. Who knows? Maybe after a few decorations here and there, this place can be considered home. 

But who could blame here for being a little anxious right now. If first days gave off any indication of what the rest of the year may hold then she should seriously start looking into the local mental correction institutions as this sort of stuff would make her lose her mind. Just think of it. In her first day she gets hit on by a wanna-be Romeo wearing all purple accompanied by a silent guy dressed in green and another guy wearing glasses. Thinking about the second boy made Taelia smile.

"Well he did look kind of cute...in a nerdy way," she admitted before going back to her original thoughts.

That she could deal with but this samurai attack sounded like something pulled straight from a horror movie. She certainly didn't remember reading about that in the catalog for the school.

She had to crack a joke, "When the said they had a cutting edge program here."

This moment of light-heartedness was short lived when a blonde boy with glasses dashed into her room without warning. This was wrong on so many levels. Cute or not, he had no right in barging into her private quarters. This was uncalled for! She was about to chew him out but the intruder spoke first.

"Aelita! XANA has just launched an attack. He's controlling a piece of samurai armor and has been hunting for you!"

Who the heck is Aelita in the first place? The last time she checked her memory bank her mind still registered the word "Taelia" as the proper means of identification. As much as she wanted to slap some sense into the guy as it would do him a world of good, this all seemed so, so_ funny_. Maybe it was worth listening to him just for the humor factor alone. Hey, she needed a good laugh anyway so why not now?

"Now that's a more original story then your friend came up with earlier."

Already she was feeling better, there was nothing like telling a guy off who deserved it though it appeared to be that the words she choose were a lot more potent than she anticipated. Something inside the stranger snapped causing him to lunge forward and grab her by the shoulders.

"You need to come with me! We gotta get out of here now!"

If she only knew how to fight then she could break this poor sap's arms in five different locations but alas that was not possible. The school's infirmary most likely would be busy due to recent influx of possible patients thanks to the attacks so adding another tally to the body count wouldn't do anyone good. Instead of a broken arm, he would get a hostile shove. If only he knew how much he lucked out then maybe he wouldn't be so daring in the future.

"I'm not going with anyone who's stark raving mad!"

The boy with glasses took a second to recollect himself and spoke calmly, "I know you have no clue with what's going on Aelita as you have amnesia right now but you have to trust me for the time being."

As if to answer the unspoken request of "Why should I believe you?" the said samurai invited himself to the think tank.

"This...is...unreal!" Taelia said with quivering lips.

Much to her surprise, the same could not be said for the boy wearing the blue sweater. Holding his arm back as if to protect her, the boy stared down the vicious beast with an equally determined gaze creating a deadly standoff.

"No matter how hard you try XANA, I will not let you lay a finger on her!"

Again with that name but there was no time to contemplate its significance as two seconds later she was face to face with the business end of a katana blade. If she wasn't pulled onto her bed shortly after, who knows what would have happened.

Looks like first impressions weren't always the best indicator for judging a person's character.

If she was going to come out of this alive, she would have to trust the boy wearing glasses. Already he was leading her out onto campus to escape from the enemy's wrath pulling at her delicate wrist as if to say "Move faster!"

Now outside, things began to settle down. Taelia needed answers, now, and her rescuer was the only one who could provide such things. There was one thing she needed to take care of first.

"Thanks for saving me."

Sure he was a jerk when they first met but then again she wasn't an ingrate either and knew how to be gracious for such a heroic deed.

He kept his focus on the door but had enough manners to acknowledge the person he was talking to. "It's the least I can do. You said you didn't want a worthless best friend after all."

Taelia bowed her head and spoke, "If you don't mind, can you introduce yourself? I can't just call you "You With the Glasses" now can I?"

He laughed at the joke and smiled but it soon gave way to fear as he spotted a giant red blotch not too far away. Again Taelia's wrist was seized by the other boy's hands. She didn't know what to make heads or tails of the situation except that death was an inevitable consequence if she stopped moving. It was so surreal to her. The scenery flashed before her eyes, ever changing, ever so terrifying. Boiler rooms, sewage systems and steel ladders, all moved in one gigantic blur. Her legs were not so permissive in moving such a great deal of a distance as they begged their user to stop with every single fearful step she took.

Her newfound friend was fairing a whole lot better. One would easily expect a person of his physical build to keel over at this time but that was not the case. This guy could run a small marathon with stamina like that.

Much to Taelia's relief their panicked-stricken sprint came to a full stop in front of an abandoned factory. This was just getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

"My name is Jeremie."

Taelia looked up completely taken back by the sudden introduction.

"I would have said so earlier but we had more "pressing" matters to attend to."

Finally she had a name. Now she could attach a word to his face.

"Jeremie, what it going on here?"

He pointed at the set of ropes dangling at the other side.

"I'll explain once we get inside. It would be best if you had a visual aid with this."

* * *

Dirk's heavy eye lids slowly opened and took in the sensations of his surroundings. He knew he was lying down but the real issue was where. A strange smell entered his nostrils and his brain began to sort out the sensation which also gave off the identity of his location. This room smelled of disinfectant, he was in the hospital now. God he hated this place. 

He reached up as to brush his bangs away from his eyes and felt a soft cloth around his head. During the time he was blacked out, the doctors must have bandaged his jaw on account of it was broken and it needed to be held in place. Most likely they must have given him a few painkillers on the side as to prevent him from going mad. Now if only Clayton was just as fine. Dirk feared the worst. Never again would he find another human being on the face of this Earth who was just as loyal as Clayton was.

He was so lost in his guilt that he was taken by surprised by Nurse Dorothy's entrance into his room.

"Hey Dirk," the older woman greeted. Showcasing her genuine nurturing personality. "Mr. Delmas gave me the rest of the day off."

Even if he mouth wasn't bound tightly Dirk would have never even dreamed of telling the woman off. He just listened patiently, communicating his thoughts and feelings with his eyes.

"If you're looking for Clayton he's in the intensive care unit as his wounds were almost fatal. However his doctors said he'll live but it would take a long time before he will fully heal."

Dirk nodded in agreement. This was indeed good news.

"Would you mind if we talked a bit?"

Such change in tone caught Dirk off guard. Clearly she didn't come to his room for official business. This was indeed a personal matter.

"As you're fully aware, your reasons for being enrolled in Kadic Junior High are completely different from that of your peers."

Dorothy's guilt ridden voice threw the hospital patient in a loop. This was something he didn't casually talk about.

"I apologize for not keeping a closer eye on you as I was supposed to. Maybe then you wouldn't have repeated the seventh grade nor been injured. I should have taken better care of you."

Dirk shifted underneath his blanket as this was an comfortable issue that was being touched upon. He was a special case in the school system, a unique position he wasn't too proud of.

"If you ever need my help don't hesitate to ask. I'm a nurse after all, it's my job to. I just hope you can still accomplish your goal with us as it indeed is something worthwhile to obtain."

The hospital patient exhaled through his nose as he was reminded of his "status" in Kadic Junior High. It was something he wished could just be forgotten.

* * *

On Yumi and Jin's list of "Fun Things to Do" being the subject of a police interrogation ranked slightly above falling down a flight of stairs. Detective Brass folded his hands together on top of the principal's desk to present his findings to the two teenagers. 

"Given what info we have gathered it can be concluded that either one or both of you are responsible for the attacks in the school."

Yumi was flabbergasted. "That isn't true!"

"This is only a theory so we could be wrong but hear us out anyway. The armor originally belonged to you two and Jin was the first person we found at the crime scene when your classmate Dirk was found."

The girl's shock was replaced with a feeling of anger. "Those two things do not justify such a conclusion!"

The investigator closed his eyes to think. Deep down inside he knew he the link he was trying to make was completely preposterous. This savage beast was indeed not human and whatever he was doing to cover his tracks was working in his favor. Certainly he was laughing at the entire police force for being so off the mark.

* * *

As long as Yumi was in that room, Ulrich would not move an inch away from the bench he was sitting on. He didn't care how long it would take he was going to cheer her up after such a grim ordeal. 

Odd, on the other hand, had a more practical method of spending their time.

"Ulrich, Yumi's been in there for hours."

His best friend only gave him a humorless reply, "And your point is?"

"As much as I_ love_ to stare at a door till it's useless for us to be staying here. We should just call up Jeremie and meet us at the factory."

Ulrich did just that but was not able to get a hold of the tech head on the other side of the line.

"His voice mail is on. That's not normal."

Odd too was slightly worried about this sign. "Maybe he's at the factory then, we should go over there and just check things out."

Although Ulrich was reluctant to leave Yumi alone with the police, Odd made a good point. Nothing good was going to come from Lounging around in the principal's office.

"Let's go to the factory!"

* * *

Taliea joined a long legacy of people who have found about the factory's secret room. Just like Jin Ishiyama, Sissi Delmas, Dirk Kap Hawn and Clayton Mil, Taelia was in complete awe with the contents of the computer room. That, along with the story of XANA's constant efforts in destroying the human race which sparked the secret war that Jeremie and his friends have been interlocked in. 

Jeremie leapt into his computer chair and brought up the world map of Lyoko in an attempt to jog the amnesiac girl's memory.

"This virtual world is Lyoko, does it ring any bells?"

She shook her head, "The only thing I remember about virtual worlds is that your purple buddy asked me the same thing when he tried to put the moves on me."

Jeremie slammed his fist against the computer's dashboard. "If only you knew."

That was the thing that was bothering her, she didn't know not because this was a hidden thought that was tucked away in the back of her. She knew right from the start that this was a case of mistaken identity but stuck along for the ride looking for an opportunity to help. This XANA must have a weakness that could be exploited.

"If XANA is responsible for all of this and is just a computer program why don't you just shut him off and end this fight once and for all?"

Why didn't anyone think of this? Shutting down Lyoko was the best and only solution to their problem. Common sense was anything but common nowadays.

Jeremie gulped nervously and gave his answer, "Well that's because doing so will destroy you as well but...you're here now."

That's when it dawned on him. What was holding him back? He was unable to connect with Aelita on Lyoko and his equipment was in working order. Then Taelia shows up at his school looking just like his virtual counterpart. Still, when it came to situations that were not grounded by the rules of traditional science, all things were possible. Could it be that he was just talking to a complete stranger?

The elevator doors opened, giving off the familiar mechanical grind that the Lyoko group grew accustomed to. This was then followed by Ulrich's footsteps as he stepped into the computer room.

He only needed to see Taelia inside to know what Jeremie was up to.

"Hold it Jeremie!" Ulrich commanded.

Odd too saw the signs and followed his friend's example. "Hey Einstein, have you gone crazy? You're not serious about doing this are you? What if Aelita is still on Lyoko?"

Jeremie balled his hands into fist as he had no other means of venting his frustrations. "For the last time, Aelita, is not on Lyoko!" He pointed at Taelia to stress his point. "She's right over there guys, can you see for yourselves!"

"Correction Einstein, Aelita isn't here. That's just Taelia. They're not the same person."

Ulrich gave it his best shot as to talk some sense into the headstrong boy. "Jeremie, we know that you've been dreaming of seeing Aelita in the real world but you need to think this through."

"Are you willing to risk destroying Aelita and Lyoko all because of some guesswork?" Odd inquired. "Just let us roam around the place for a bit."

Maybe a patrol on Lyoko was in order just for the benefit of the doubt. Jeremie waved his hand as to dismiss the two roommates into the scanner room where he initiated the process of sending them to Lyoko.

"Transfer Ulrich. Transfer Odd."

Taelia's eyes were glued on Jeremie's computer monitor. Letters, numbers and symbols traveled across the screen at increasing velocities. This served as the backdrop for two digital playing cards carrying the likeness of the two boys who Jeremie was just talking to.

"This is crazy."

Jeremie paid no attention to her and kept typing on his keyboard.

"Scanner Ulrich. Scanner Odd."

The last key was hit to complete the program and everything was good to go. All that was left was for Jeremie to say his catchphrase and they would be on their way.

"Virtualization!"

* * *

Odd and Ulrich felt the tiny pebbles that littered the environment grind underneath the palms of their hands. Making them feel rough and chalky afterwards. 

Jeremie was ready to give his first set of instructions, "I last spoke with Aelita on the mountain region. You should begin your search here."

Now the two warriors could see why Jeremie wasn't too willing to go ahead with a physical search to locate Aelita. Apparently they have forgotten how huge Lyoko was. Densely fogged patches of land, steep cliffs and dark passages populated the mountain range in countless numbers. It would take days just to search this sector alone.

"Finding Aelita here is going to be like finding an idea in Jim's head."

Jeremie knew his friends were more than capable of taking care of themselves and now turned to Taelia to further clarify what was going on. This would have been ok except that there was no Taelia to explain things too.

"This could be a big problem Jeremie," he said in the third person.

* * *

Sure the fate of Lyoko and Aelita's whereabouts were indeed pressing matters on Odd's mind but he didn't let that stop him from having a good time. Jumping from boulder to boulder, leaping over the large pits doing the occasional flip or two, he was having a blast. 

"Super Mario, eat your heart out," he jested. "I can jump just as high as you _and _look good wearing purple. Not too many guys can say _that_!"

"If you want to be the next video game idol wait some other time," Jeremie barked. "Right now focus on seeing if Aelita is here or not."

"Cool your jets Jeremie. I'll get to..."

Flash Visions have the most peculiar sense of timing. Just when Odd was hitting his peak goof off hours, an sight of Aelita being obscured by a fiery orange wall came to him. It didn't tell him she was but the ambiguous hint was better than nothing.

Still dazed Odd communicated his reaction, "Whoa."

Ulrich climbed his way to the ledge his roommate was standing to partake in the slightly festive atmosphere that was created.

"Uh oh, is it just me or does Odd look like he has a constructive idea in his head?"

"More like a flash vision." Looking the most serious that he was all day Odd psyched himself up to drop his bombshell. "I saw Aelita on Lyoko."

Jeremie had to blink a few times in order to process what Odd said.

"Can you repeat that again? For a minute there I thought you said Aelita was on Lyoko."

"Next time you shop for glasses you might want to get your hearing checked as well. I just saw Aelita, but she was trapped in something really weird. I can't explain it."

There was no time to lament on his misinterpretation on the evidence that was given to him. Taelia was not Aelita, that was a fact he had to accept. The real Aelita was in trouble and rescuing her was top priority.

XANA didn't fair to well at hiding things as Ulrich soon found out. In the middle of the narrow, twisting pathway at the base of the cliff stood a glowing sphere which cared very little about being spotted or not.

"An orb of fire eh? Kinda like that thing over there?"

There was no more time left to spare for useless banter. The two heros had no second thoughts about their safety when it came to diving off the cliff's edge since it was the fastest way down. Running at their top speeds, the duo made it to the orb's platform in no time.

"There she is!" Odd said excitedly. "Aelita is trapped in that weird fire ball."

"It's called a Guardian," Ulrich added. "The same monster that imprisoned Yumi before."

Odd thought back to that eventful battle in the ice region for any hints on how to unravel this enigma.

"The last time we met this thing Aelita created a clone of Yumi and made the Guardian think it had the wrong prisoner."

"Yeah but this time Aelita, is the one held captive this time so there goes that option. Now what?"

Hands down the Guardian was the number one monster that Jeremie despised. Holding Aelita hostage wasn't going to score any brownie points in his book and that the thing was impervious to physical attack only piled on the woes for him.

Ulrich played a less passive role when it came to expressing his hatred toward the Guardians.

"Until you can figure out what to do next I'm going to rely on brute force to crack this thing open and get her out!"

Jeremie wished that all of his problems could be solved as easily as swinging a sword through the air. For if that was the case, then Aelita would have truly been materialized and XANA would have bitten the dust long ago.

* * *

Being hit on was the least of her worries. Now Taliea had to contend with a bloody-thirsty demon samurai who's greatest foe ever appeared to be a rookie mad scientist with enough tools and hardware to put Dr. Frankenstein out of business. 

Fighting XANA in a computer game was not a good enough solution for Taelia. He had to be put down like the fowl being that he was. His end would be swift and just with no time in-between to mourn his passing which was why she returned to Kadic Junior High; to speak with an adult who she prayed had more common sense than anyone else she encountered today.

She came just in time, two students were already existing his office which meant that the man was free right now. Her stroll to the entrance caused her to cross paths with these two individuals giving her ample to analyze their facial features and manner of dress out curiosity.

They were twins, no doubt about that. The similarities in their looks and the overall presence they emitted were clear indicators of this. The most striking thing about them was the way they moved. It was something to see with one's eyes to believe. Each and every step, every twist of the torso was synchronized as if their movements were timed to the beat of a silent orchestra playing in their heads.

Her eyes only came into contact with the sister of the pair. The look that Taelia saw in the other girl's eyes made her blood run cold. The gothic girl looked so fierce and angry but concealed it underneath a clam exterior. The next person that would have the misfortune to set her over the edge would be reeling from the consequences. That was all Taelia cared for to see. She didn't come here for the meet and greet. She had a virus to dispose of and a virtual world to shut down.

* * *

Within the last two minutes they last exchanged words, Ulrich had managed to do fifteen vertical slashes, three horizontal slices, six backhands and four stabs which all equaled to a big fat zero in the progress meter and two sore arms. This was something Jeremie couldn't help himself but to laugh at. 

"See Ulrich, where brute force fails, intelligence prevails."

Odd slapped himself in the forehead after hearing that quote. "Man, that was just as bad as "super nuclear!" Do yourself a favor and stay out of the one-liner business and get with opening this digital pinata."

Jeremie's head throbbed under the immense pressure he was putting on himself. This Guardian program has to have a weakness that should be exploited. Wait...

Guardian program.

Guardian...program

Guardian..._program_

"This thing is a program! If that's the case then I should be able to hack it!"

Jeremie's fingers trembled in anticipation. There was nothing quite like the rush he got whenever he used his vast computer know how to stick it to XANA where it hurts. A few key strokes here and there and right on Lyoko he had managed to replicate a flawless Aelita duplicate.

"An Aelita clone Einstein? So this is how you prepare yourself for the real thing." Odd's sly voice mentioned. "Mind telling us your record for speaking to her without freezing up?"

Ulrich too had to express his doubts on the idea. "Here's to wishing the Guardian is as stupid as you think it would be."

"Just wait and see. I can't be wrong all the time right?"

The Guardian was in full agreement with that statement. Seeing the Aelita clone, it stretched it gelatinous body and ensnared the other being holding the two captives inside. However, it was commanded to hold Aelita prisoner and now the question was who was he really suppose to have. Skills such as logic and reasoning were not programed into its original program and overloaded with information. The end result was a nice shower of sparks and one released virtual girl on Lyoko.

Odd placed his hand over the delicate body's head to check for sings of external harm but Jeremie was far more capable of giving an accurate diagnosis.

"Get Aelita to a tower pronto. She needs to regenerate her life points! After that head over to the forest region as that's where XANA activated to tower!"

* * *

Yumi was angry, plain a simple. She knew the Chinese proverb that Jin would quote at a time like this but she didn't care. This feeling of anger was of a different breed that would take hold of her brother from time to time. No, this was a quiet sense of rage which was the more dangerous one of the breed. This rage that allowed her to think, to think of all the bad things that was happening. She was a mental wreak. A walking toxic waste dump of pent up frustrations and unresolved conflicts. Yumi pushed her feelings to the side, she had to tell Jeremie of her latest discovery concerning Taelia. Her psychological well-being was secondary to this. She drew out her cell phone and dialed Jeremie's number so that she could deliver the news. 

"Jeremie, I just saw Taelia and it looked like she was going to speak to the principal."

If on Yumi was able to see the frenzied mannerisms Jeremie was expressing over at the factory.

"Oh no, this is bad! This is really bad! I took her to the factory."

"You can't be serious. She's going to tell the cops everything!"

"I know. Just head over to the factory as fast as you can."

"Sure thing."

Yumi's warning call was able to put her back into her normal mind set and kept the demons at bay for just a bit longer. Such a shift in moods went by unnoticed with Jin for he unable to see her face.

"Something tells me that Jeremie did something reeeeaaaaaallllly stupid."

"He did Aniki, right now Taelia is letting the principal and the police everything Jeremie told her about XANA and Lyoko."

Jin sprinted in the direction of the boiler room as fast as his legs could carry him and saw his sister swiftly gaining ground on him. Jeremie had just created a ticking time bomb in this pressure cooker situation. Dealing with a rogue samurai was already a handful now throw the cops into the mix and the potential for Lyoko to be shut down and you got yourself treading on thin ice.

Inside the cramped confines of the corridor that lead to their secret passage, the Ishiyama siblings could sense something was amiss. Countless run ins with XANA-induced paranormal such as giant teddy bears and purple clouds of poisonous fumes had conditioned their bodies to adapt a "sixth sense" when it came to detecting danger.

Sure enough a few flickers from the florescent lights overhead confirmed these warnings. This was the final nail in the coffin for Yumi. She was not going to allow herself to be pushed around any further.

"I know your there XANA! Show yourself."

Jin could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. As much as he would love to have a chance in extracting some much needed retribution on the specter that stole his eyesight, now was not the most ideal time to do so.

Before Yumi could figure out what was going on, she found her mouth being covered by the palm of her brother's hand as he reached from behind.

"Uh, never mind us!" Jin's sheepish remark rang loud and clear. He then cleared his throat and deepened his voice to as low as it could go to mask his identity. "We're...the cleaning crew, that's right! And we just came here to...clean stuff. Now why don't you just move along and forget that we even met."

Wanting some feedback on his performance, the Japanese boy rolled his eyes in his sister's direction and whispered into her ear.

"You think I fooled him?"

* * *

Oh the irony. Oh the twisted, bent, corrupted, sense of poetic justice that has graced his existance. 

This was a consequence that he had not foreseen. After all his searching, all his mistakes and all that time wasted he was finally face to face with two of the oldest adversaries that have be a bane in his existence. The last time the crossed paths like this was during the incident with the Yumi clone. Even with such a pathetic puppet at its control victory was still seized. It didn't matter that they had superior numbers, they were only human.

What made this all the more sweeter was that they owned the instrument of destruction that he was using. This was poetic justice in the making. A relic of the Ishiyama generation would be use to cut down it's bloodline.

History annihilates future. Such a classic conflict.

He would surely enjoy remembering their frightful expressions as they would come to their final moments on Earth. This he will make sure of.

* * *

Yumi lifted her finger and pointed at the looming samurai staring at them. 

The teenager that was being forcibly silenced was not going to take this anguish anymore. She had reached her threshold of psychological abuse and she would not back down from this stand off.

As always XANA made the first move. Running at top speed at Yumi for she was the closest target. She had to find something to defend herself fast for she would be sliced to ribbons if she didn't. Subconsciously her foot brushed up against a series of pipes ranging in sizes that Jim had yet to clean up and instantly saw her means of combat.

The two metal objects met halfway in the air and began their struggle for dominance with Yumi on the losing end right from the start. Where was her brother now?

"Anytime Aniki!" She hollered. There was no time for formalities, only action.

* * *

Aelita stirred in the tower after she had enough strength to move. Ulrich and Odd were more than overjoyed to see this. 

"Jeremie, I think she's coming to."

How long was she out? Minutes? Hours? Days? She had to know.

"What happened?"

Odd got on one knee to lower himself so that he and Aelita saw eye to eye.

"You got captured by a Guardian but don't worry, he won't be bothering you anymore."

It was great to hear her from her again and to know that she was safe. The others wouldn't mind if he took a second or two to recover before he gave the mission brief.

"Aelita, while you were out XANA launched an attack. He's controlling a piece of samurai armor on Earth. Right now you have to get to the forest region to deactivate the tower."

Unactivated towers were the veins of Lyoko, connected to one another through an intricate system of programs filled with a sea of data. Ulrich and Odd did not know the exact mechanics on how they were transferred from region to region. All they cared about was getting there.

The three party members leaned over the platform's edge, their toes curling over the sides for extra grip. They didn't bother to make a flashy dive into the abyss and instead fell forward, head-first into the unknown. Ulrich and Odd closed their eyes, completely engrossed in the sensation that diving off a large cliff provided. Oblivious to the swarms of binary coding and strange symbols that dispersed in a flicker of time. The margin for error was now slim. Too much time had been wasted on useless questions, premature guesses and faulty evidence. XANA unchecked on Earth was not something that should be taken lightly. The tower had to be taken care of fast.

* * *

Yumi jumped backwards to avoid XANA's next attack; just in time to watch her brother run forward and take a giant crack at the samurai's armor with a huge swipe from his weapon. 

The long metal pipe Jin was holding bounced off the red surface as if was made of rubber. If there was a human inside, his teeth would have been rattling right now.

The samurai guarded the entrance to the boiler room as if he was glued to the door frame and prevented anyone from getting near it. Yumi and Jin would have to find another way to the factory and hold off XANA every inch of the way. They didn't have a chance fighting XANA up front for they were outclassed by its equipment and protection. Running away was the only option left at their disposal but and a head start was needed. Yumi glanced at Jin's weapon and saw it was significantly longer than hers. The gears in her hair began to turn. Maybe there was a way she could use this to their advantage.

"Aniki, I have a plan but it's pretty risky."

The metal staff was raised a few inches higher so that it assumed its battle position and its user smiled smugly.

"Just tell me what you need to do and it's done."

"When you see an opening, I want you to get that pipe pressed against XANA's ankle. I'll handle the rest."

That plan sounded crazy if not suicidal. "Hold it! Who do you think I am; Robin from Teen Titans! My level of training doesn't come close to the swordsmanship lessons Sifu put you through. I mean I'm pretty good with this thing but not _that_ good!"

Such a confession was something that she did not want to hear.

"WHAT! This is the last thing we need! How about all those weapons you have in your room?"

"That's just a collection sis," he admitted openly. "I'm only fourteen, there is no possible way I could use all of those things effectively yet."

"Just trust me Jin,"

He nodded. Yumi had an ace up her sleeve and XANA was too ignorant to see the huge amount of trouble he would soon be in. Jin rushed the armed giant with the usual amount of reckless abandon he was accustomed to. When XANA tried to slice his head off with a horizontal slash, Jin saw an opening. He trusted his legs out and jetted the forward so that he went into a baseball slide holding his staff over his head so that it functioned as a giant piece of trip wrie.

Now why would Jin be so stupid.. That peculiar maneuver was harmless by itself and left the teenager valuable for a fatale blow. XANA twirled the samurai's katana so that its point hovered over his chest which would become a bloody pincushion if no one was going to save him.

It was Yumi's turn to act fast. XANA payed no heed to her which was exactly what she wanted. Her strategy in Lyoko last time backfired. History was not going to be making a repeat performance. Yumi dashed past the samurai's right side made a swift turnaround. Jin could see from his point of view his sister leap high into the air, stretching her legs out to cover extra ground. Yumi aimed her body to the wall adjacent to her and pushed off of it in a downward motion to get even more height. With her increased momentum, the girl focused her sight onto the giant target before her which was the samurai's back.

Poor XANA did not know what him. Yumi rammed her pipe into the ancestral armor. The final piece of her strategy fell into place. Such a hit forced the lumbering beast to step forward in order to regain his balance. However, with Jin's staff lodged against his legs that was not going to happen. The samurai toppled forward like a house of cards and smashed into floor.

"Let's get out of here!" Yumi said as she grabbed Jin by his wrist, dragging to the entrance of one of the locker rooms.

Jin twisted his body so that he faced the proper direction and smiled. It was amazing how much Yumi had grown during his absence and yet, it felt like this had happened before.

"Just like old times," he chuckled quietly.

* * *

"There, that's the factory where all this weird stuff is happening!" Taelia cried out to the principal and Donald Brass. 

"What is exactly is down there?" Mr. Delmas asked not knowing the full details of why he was brought to this particular location.

The new student recalled her own encounter with the factory's secrets and rationalized that if the two men were to take her seriously the only explanation she could give was to show them the strange room herself and let them draw up their own conclusions.

"Mr. Brass, inside this factory is the biggest lead you'll find in your investigation. You have to trust me on this!"

Did he really have a choice. Eye witnessers couldn't ID the sucker and forensic evidence was turning up nil. Any potential lead, no matter how fabricated it might appear to be was a welcomed one.

"We'll go, even if it is for the benefit of the doubt."

* * *

"Oh crud!" 

The time it took for Ulrich, Odd and Aelita to travel to the forest region, Jeremie finally saw XANA's true target.

"He wasn't after Taelia because she was Aelita. He was after us!"

Role call showed that two of the five students were absent from the factory. He didn't know if they were either on their way to save the day or not. He had to find out. Jeremie dialed Jin's cell phone number not caring which of the pair he contacted as they were usually together. He was happy to hear Jin's voice on the other line for he assumed that he was ok.

"Hey, this is Jin. My sister and I can't talk right now because...WE'RE FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW!"

Jeremie jumped back in his seat, frightened by the outburst. A blaring orchestra of violence and disorder occupied the other line. Screams, scrapes, grunts and groans filled the white noise and feed into his ear painting a vivid picture of what was happening at Kadic.

Jin found enough time to keep talking in order to fill his friend in on their status. "Fighting with only one hand is pretty tough so I'm only going to say this once. GET THAT TOWER DEACTIVATED!"

"We made it to the forest region," came Ulrich's voice from Lyoko.

Finally, some good news! They were making some serious headway in their mission and most ideally it would stay that way.

"Excellent job guys but hurry up. Yumi is having problems with the samurai."

Jin had to butt in, "_We're_ having problems with the samurai! There's two of us remember?"

Odd was able to eavesdrop on the conversation since the super calculator was used as the medium for the two boys to communicate.

"My, my, such an impatient fellow," he quipped.

"Just make it snappy guys as our family is allergic to swords? You see, when they get in us we die...CRUD!"

The cell phone icon on Jeremie's monitor shrank to a single pixle signaling that the line was dead. This was also when he choose to check the camera feedback inside the factory's elevator. It appeared to be that life was just a series of misfortunate events laid out one after another.

"How about another update for us Einstein. You got any news for us?"

"Plenty, Taelia saw me punch in the access code for the elevator and is coming down and the principal and the police are with her as well. To think I blown our cover to a complete stranger."

"Hey easy there Jer." Odd said warmly. "You did something stupid just to impress a girl. I was afraid you weren't like the rest of us. Guess I was wrong."

"Can the insults Odd, as you and Ulrich have a few monsters waiting for you, two blocks to be exact. Watch our for their ice blasts or else its game over."

The blocks in question revealed themselves by aimless firing their most feared weapons at the trio. Such powerful cannons were difficult to aim and the only things that were hurt in that attack were two trees that off to the sides.

Odd flipped forward as to take the lead and rubbed his wrists so that they were warmed up before they would be used.

"Nice job in saving us from those menacing tress but next time actually try to hit us. Let me show you how to shoot like a pro."

The marksmanship lesson would have to wait some other time. Ulrich was more comfortable seeing himself tacking on the two menaces by himself, rather than his best friend. He was going to XANA how to _really _use a katana.

"Odd, get Aelita to the tower, I'll handle these two alone...well almost alone."

The purple warrior did not stay to see the impressive display of speed that Ulrich exhibited for it ranked pretty low on his list of priorities but he knew those two poor saps were in for it a serious butt kicking...if those things even had butts to kick.

"Triangulate!"

It had been a long while since Ulrich had performed this move but this was the most appropriate time to use it. His last encounter with the blocks involved him meeting the business end of an ice blast due to his lack of awareness. If he couldn't fight these things up front, then he'd have to confuse them instead. They couldn't hit what the couldn't see.

The block's targeting system went into overtime commutating the coordinates and the environmental conditions that needed to be factored in to hit the speeding enemy. Round and round he went, building a transparent wall of yellow light with each passing. Now it was time that he left something tangible behind...himself. Well, two extra clones of himself which the block fired at out of reflex; making the Lyoko population two holographic copies smaller. It's optic functions were able to detect a sword being jammed in its direction but was too slow in doing anything about it.

"Impact!" Ulrich screamed.

The block learned right before it's destruction was that the sword was real. Very, very real. Of course the beam of concentrated icy fury that smacked Ulrich in the back was also very, very real.

* * *

Two bombshells were just dropped right now. Ulrich's devirtualization and an complimentary visit from Taelia, the school principal with the police behind them. 

"There he is!" Taelia accused. "There was this weird computer and XANA thing who's trying to destroy the world!"

Mr. Delmas never dreamed that his school's most academically accomplished student would be involved with such a dastardly conspiracy.

"Jeremie, I believe you owe us an explanation for all this."

Jin and Yumi were in a real life sword fight with a shogun from the past and Aelita faced the threat of permanent deletion if he didn't keep his eye on her well being. Telling his principal to back off was a reasonable decision given these problems.

"I'm sorry sir," Jeremie said with a keen sense of respect. "I can not say so, my friends are in danger and I can not abandon them."

Donald was impatient. Diplomacy was dead in this day and age. He glanced at his fellow officers and nodded in their direction. They would drag this kid all the way back to the police station if they have to. There were too many lives at risk for them to mess this up.

* * *

"SHI TA!" 

Jin's shot his right foot against the door to the gymnasium as he was in a hurry but then again who wouldn't be? They were too far away from the forest or the boiler room now. XANA successfully lured them away from those areas. They couldn't fight their way to Lyoko now. All they could do was fight for their survival. XANA had no trouble playing catch up and flew in between the family members isolating Jin from Yumi brandishing his sword so that it pointed in-between his eyes.

"ANIKI!" Yumi called out. A massive wall of red reared forward and jutted against her body knocking her to the floor and the wind out of her. She clawed at the gym floor, digging her nails into the wooden planks underneath, feeling that quiet sense of rage brewing underneath.

Death was right at Jin's fingertips. How could net not gulp in fear when it was inches away from his face. Despite his nervousness, he was able to make out one last command his instincts were blarring at him. ...

_Move your head!_

Jin jerked his head to the side just in time for he was about to wear a gigantic steel sword on his forehead in he didn't. The blade's pointed end rebounded off the think gymnasium walls which was not its intended target.

The black haired boy resumed his upright stance and gripped his staff with both of his hands. He was going to enjoy this.

"Let's rock!"

Using his left hand as a guide, Jin propelled the pole with his right in an upward motion with enough strength and force to give the samurai's breast plate another good rattle. XANA might have had the more superior fighter on in his ranks but Jin had physics on his side. With the imbalanced induced while hitting the wall and now the staff hit to his chest, the samurai could not keep a firm grip on his sword and dropped it so that I laid harmlessly on the ground.

"Better luck next..."

The samurai did not wait for Jin to finish his sentence. Human values of honor and dignity were worthless when you could crush your opponent in a single hit. He had his samurai lock both of his gloves together in an unbreakable lock then sent the miniature wrecking ball into Jin's rib cage. His garbled and incoherent gasps and croaks were substations of his screams. Unlike his previous victims before, Jin would bleed on the inside with god knows how many damaged organs and broken bones.

* * *

The two blocks Ulrich left to take care of were the only opposition that Lyoko offered for the landscape around the tower was deserted. 

"There you go Princess, one activated tower for you. Too bad you didn't get to see my graceful combat moves."

Aelita giggled at his playful personality and made a beeline to the white and black spire ignoring the scuttling sound of mechanical legs meeting grassy soil.

"You're getting sloppy Ulrich," Odd said with a smile. "Try not to interrupt a genius when he's at work."

A laser was fired in his direction that he could have easily avoided in his sleep. Odd pushed off the ground with both of his legs propelling himself backwards as he kept his body straight and rigid as possible. He was at the mercy of gravity which was exactly what he wanted to happen. Now face to XANA eye with the block upside down, Odd gave the monster his usual greeting for these creatures.

"Laser Arrow!"

Aelita breath a sigh of relief after hearing the familiar explosion that occurred whenever a monster was destroyed.

"Nice job," Aelita whispered just before she disappeared into the tower."

* * *

It was almost surreal. XANA was indeed a deadly foe. His powers were almost limitless and unrivaled. Jin learned this the hard way. If Yumi was on Lyoko she could lay waste to this scumbag, slice him up into a million pieces and scatter his remains all over the virtual wasteland he created. But no, she was in the real world, experiencing real pain. 

The anger was still there, showing no signs of subsiding. There was no time to get a psychologist and fix this problem so she turned to her own brand of her therapy. XANA had just crossed the line with his ill treatment of her brother. At that moment every problem she had, every feeling of mental anguish, all her emotional problems were blamed on XANA. He was the reason why she was having nightmares. He was the reason why her life wasn't peaceful and he was the cause of what happened two years ago. Yumi knew it wasn't true, but she didn't care. That computerized bastard was going to pay. Yumi wasn't on Lyoko, that she had to deal with but here, she can deal some pain, some real physical pain that she hoped XANA would feel in every single gaseous particle that made up his body.

Then it came to her. Her sudden epiphony came rushing at her light a loaded frieght train carenaning down the tracks at top speed. The quiet rage, the reemergence of memories supposably forgotten a long time ago, the unrelenting desire to save someone while facing certain death at the smallest attempt; this was exactly what Jin was going through. At that single blood-shed moment, Yumi finally felt her brother's pain. Not symphatived with it or understand it to be analyzed but to truly feel as if, it were her own. She called Jin back home to solve his problem, have him redeam himself and sqaush these lingering thoughts for good, but now the game has changed, the rules have been altered and the score board wipped clean.

The phrase, "Jin's problem" did not exist anymore. No longer could Yumi detache herself with what happened. Jin was her brother, this was her bloodline and this was now her, termoil as well.

The samurai was unarmed, and Yumi was. She didn't need Jeremie's knowledge of mathematics to sort this equation out. She gripped her pipe so tightly that her knuckles turned white under the stress and then, she swung. Forget about technique, Yumi shifted all of her body weight into the end of her weapon in a gigantic baseball swing. Her fears, emotions and rage all collected at the end of the iron rod and were about to be unleashed with an unpresidented amount fury.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE!"

This wasn't a plea but more of a command. An ultimatum for the beast to start an early hibernation. The pipe impacted against the chest section with a loud smack letting the sound hang in the air as if it came from a gong. That was when XANA showed signs of faltering. It started out as a single fault running through the armor no thinker then a hair but it grew. The tiny crack expanded into a fault line splintering off in a multitude of directions like a spider web. Hundreds of years of decay and erosion had left the armor in a weakened state from the start and Jin and Dirk did their fair share of softening the samurai up for Yumi to take over.

The coup de grace was executed putting the war zone in a deafly calm.It only lasted a heartbeat but it felt like hours as if they were in a vaccum where time draged on so that the viewer could scrutanized every single miniscule detail that was happening. After that chest plusation the crimson beast fell over for a second time, like a giant redwood tree falling down cut at its base. The shock feedback Yumi's pipe was giving her acted like a coded message to tell the Japanese girl of her victory. The monster had been vanquished, but not without its cost.

"ANIKI!"

The conscious Ishiyama ran over to her brother's unresponsive body. What frighted her the most was that he had no external damages. No cuts, gashes or abrasions adorned his body that would allow her to perform some sort of primitive diagnosis on his condition. All she had at her disposal was guesswork, and guesswork was not good enough.

Jin weakly opened his eyes exposing the bottom of his pupils and his dark brown eyes. "Sis?" He said in a quiet whisper. The movement of his jaw caused a tricle of red liquid to run down his lips onto the sleeve of Yumi's shirt.

"You can't die!" Yumi pleaded. "Even if we return to the past, you won't comeback!" Thoughts of a life without her brother entered her head and caused her speech to weaken. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into this Aniki! This is all my fault. All I wanted to do was make things better for you, for both of us."

She waited three longs seconds for her brother to tell her that everything was all right and to lie about him being ok. No such words of comfort were given.

"SAY SOMETHING ANIKI!" Yumi begged while shaking his weak form.

"Anything?" Jin asked with a weak, bloodtrailed smile.

"Yes!"

"Just...let me sleep."

Yumi could only watch as Jin's eyelids closed on themselves, still wearing a smile even if he was living his last moments on Earth.

* * *

Bothersome humans! 

Who knew those children put up such a reistance? A grave underestimation of his enemy had been revealed. Countermeasures must be drawn up, this will not be a common occurrence. These limitations were indeed becoming quiet a nusicance. Once he was able to possess humans,the playing field would be altered again in his favor. For now he would buy his time, slowly and surely.

The samurai may not have vanquished his enemies like he orignally set it out to but it this provided a worthwile test of his own stratigems. Still, it would be such a waste to admit defeat now. Slowly, he willed the armor to its feet, taking hold of the sword it dropped for it yearned to be used.

* * *

There was no way Jeremie could overpower two determined policemen hellbent on taking him back to the school for further questioning. He anticipated this and just before the four hands gripped his arms, he was able to punch in the commands for the jump back in time. There was no room for Aelita to fail, everyone had played their part in this stage production. Now all that she had to do was call for the curtain. 

"It's all on you Aelita."

* * *

Yumi and Jin were fighting their hearts out in the real world. 

Ulrich sacrificed himself in Lyoko to clear a path for her.

Odd was outside battling XANA's minions so that they would not do her any harm.

Jeremie was facing down an irrate principal and two members of the police force to keep Lyoko active and her alive.

She was the last piece needed for victory. The stage was set and the responsibility of saving the world was the prelude and her motivation to perform. Aelita approached the tower's monitor and began to recite her lines through the computer screen.

AELITA

* * *

Yumi could feel the living incarnation of evil staring a hole in her back. The samurai was up on his feet again, ready for a second round in their little showdown. She took hold of her pipe and spun around making sure that Jin was resting safely behind her. His safety ranked highest above all. 

She didn't know how, but the samurai had managed to disarm Yumi with a small flick of his sword. Now with both Ishiyamas unarmed he walked over to Jin's body and lifted the blade high into the air. He was going to make Yumi suffer for being so "uncooperative." Killing her right now would be too good of a punishment. He was going to break her mind first before he did anything else.

All that Yumi could do was to hold her hands up as to shield herself from looking at the piece of sharpened steel. It hammered downward, slicing the air it passed through making a loud whoosh noise while it traveled. Two words lumped in her throat just fighting to be released in

* * *

CODE

* * *

"NOT AGAIN!"

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

Salvation was found in the light, a light most welcomed. The bright beam embraced the fallen real world warrior as well as the other victims. Entering their bodies and caressing their wounds in an almost motherly embrace. All was right with the world, just like always. However, for Jin, his sister's words got to him far faster. They flew into his ears and burrowed their way to the forefront of his brain, leaving behind an impression that could never be brushed aside.

* * *

Class was over, and the students were free to choose whatever activities to engage in to fill up the remaining free time they had left. Under normal circumstances, Yumi would usually head over to her house and either curl up with a good book or do her homework but not today. Still shaken by the savagery of XANA's attack she took a seat on the grassy surface behind the cafeteria and gazed into the sky. So much had happened in the space of one day and it would take her quiet a long time to get her jumbled thoughts back into proper order. Her mind was distant. Not even her brother's stunning display of athleticism while he showcased the few Tae Kwan Do techniques he learned in the United States for his finale did not rouse her attention. All she could think about was the surge of emotions she felt while fighting the samurai. 

As fate would have it Jin managed to find the pondering girl and inquired her reason for being in such a detached state.

"You know Yumi Mom and Dad would be worried if we keep them waiting like this."

"Aniki..." Yumi said, her words trailed off and were carried away by the afternoon breeze. "How do you live like this?"

"Eating three meals a day and getting plenty of rest and exercise," Jin replied with his usual array of witty banter.

Yumi narrowed her eyebrows. She was not looking for quick laugh. "Please, I'm serious here."

Jin smiled and took a seat next to the raven haired girl. "To tell you the truth Yumi, I don't know. I just take things one day at a time. The future isn't something I really pay a lot of attention to."

"But...doesn't it drive you crazy? How can you just act so casually when you're constantly thinking about these things?"

"That's not true at all sis."

"Ever since what happened to you...I mean us, two years ago, things have really changed haven't they?"

"They have."

The twins got up shortly after to head back to their house as not to worry their parents anymore. Crossing the large campus and seeing the students in their blissful happiness was enough proof that the wrath of the samurai had finally been extinguished and that they could get on with their lives.

A pair of headphones were made visible to the world along with a CD player which were both produced from Jin's backpack.

"Who knows Yumi," he said while placing the contraption on his head so that it rested comfortably on the back of his ears. "If we keep this up maybe things will change for the better."

Ulrich and Odd happened to walk in front of them without knowing of their presence. Yumi's eyes gave the boy in green a once over and grinned.

"I hope so Aniki."

END

* * *

**Wishful Thinking**

Same old, same old with me. Visit my website, sorry for the adds as I got bandwith issues right now. Don't forget to leave a review for this chapter. Your feedback really means a lot to me.

* * *

**Outtakes**

Tamiya could feel her vocal cords juggling an answer between them forcing the girl to stutter in the process. Once their little game of catch had finished, she was able to compose herself in a small degree and tried her best to hide her fear.

"Not really...but I just had a thought. Maybe this isn't the big story we're looking for today. "A special expose on what's hidden underneath this drape?" Sounds a little lame to me."

Milly nodded in agreement. "You're right! I got a way better idea. How about we do a story on Mr. Delmas' suit collection or Jim's band-aid?"

"On second thought, maybe the drape expose wasn't so bad afterall.

* * *

At the other side of the library Mrs. Winters retreated to her office in the back to take care of her other duties and dismissed herself from the boy's presence allowing him to join Clayton at his table. 

"What kind of dribble are you rotting your brain with now?" Dirk questioned.

"Hey man, you got your taste, I got mine. You don't hear me making fun of the story you're reading." He paused to think of the title as it was at the tip of his tongue. "Affair of the Three Castles?"

Dirk shook his head and pulled out a slender book from his backpack with a colorful cover; a book Clayton had read a long time ago.

Ten years ago to be exact.

The Korean boy slammed the book against the table and began to laugh controllably. "Soon, I will force Kadic Junior High to eat Green Eggs and Ham! IN YOUR FACE SAM I AM!"

"Maybe he wasn't as smart as I thought he would be."

* * *

That plan sounded crazy if not suicidal. "Hold it! Who do you think I am; Robin from Teen Titans!" 

Just then the wall adjacent to the battle burst open in a dark cloud of smoke. As the dust cleared, upbeat techno music began to play much to the puzzlement of Yumi, Jin and XANA. A girl wearing a purple skit and matching top flew above the wreakage and pointed at the staff weilding fighter.

"There he is! That is the French person who has been Robining without your permission oh real Robin."

The collar of Jin's shit was seized so that he could be pulled closer to the super hero.

"You are aware that we used this joke on our show first right? Me, Beast Boy and Star are here to make sure that you remember not to infringe on our copyright."

"You tell him!" Beast Boy yelled eagerly.

There was only one way out for Jin. It was going to take all his intelligence and cunning to come out of this confrentation unharmed.

"Hey look over there! It's Slade riding a moped."

"WHERE!" The two young heros asked excitedly turning their heads away giving the older Ishiyama ample time to escape.

Yumi and Starfire both buried their faces into the palms of their hands.

"Men."

* * *

**Words from the Author**

I am so deeply sorry that I haven't updated my story in the longest time. My life has gotten busier than normal with college and work so having free time to write is getting more difficult. Not to mention I'm not in the same "shape" I was in before. No longer can I sit at the computer and type hours on end producing a chapter every two days. For some reason I'm slowing down and I can't detect why. Another reason why this chapter was delayed was because I had to write it twice. At the forty-six page mark, my file got deleted and I had to start from scratch. I was not too happy with that but overall I think I re-wrote the segments better then I did before so the blunder did serve some good.

As for the chapter itself I can tell that this is a new style of writing that I've used. It just fells different. Also I think this chapter changed drastically away from the original. There are way more sub stories and questions that have been proposed here that serve as an underlying tone to the events of the original.

Can you say plot twist? I found it fitting for this chapter to have as much character development as it did. There was a reason why I focused as much attention on Jin as I did as to set up for this new development. Not to mention, he's played a pretty small part in this chapter as Yumi, Jeremie and Dirk all had the spotlight here, Yumi more so. This was her chapter to shine as I made it that she exhibited her stronger qualities of leadership and other feats that outclass her brother. Once again we have more mysteries of the Retelling Series that have yet to be answered on top of the usual ones you've grown accustomed to. Man I'm evil.

I really hope you liked this chapter as I really gave it my all. This is a special episode of the Retelling Series as the rules of the game are now drastically different. Also to answer your overwhelming questions...yes I WILL do season two as well. I have many ideas in my head planned for that not to mention Jin is going to have a field day when he meets William as those two look very similar to one another.

Once again, thanks for reading and sticking through this massive series. I'm not out of the game yet. If you want to talk to me feel free to IM or e-mail me. I can no longer reply to reviews in my chapters thanks to this stupid rule the site imposed on us and I'm not too willing to re-write my series from the beginning.

Looking forward to your reviews. Thanks for your support! Before I end this you guys need to give a big round of applause for your fellow reader Kwon Pa who took the time to proofread all 500 pages of the Retelling Series. That is true dedication my friend.


	17. Intermission Part 4

**Disclaimer**

I don't own Code Lyoko, Halloween or any of the series where these costumes came from. MUST I PUT THIS IN WRITING FOR YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND!...oh wait. It already is.

**Special Thanks**

To all the people out there who love Halloween!

* * *

Intermission (Original Side Story) A (Belated) Code Lyoko Halloween 

In the deepest darkest depths of Lyoko, XANA had summoned his top officials for an emergency meeting. Now, since no fanfic writer has yet to attempt a scene like this and since G-Force is too lazy to come up with an original idea for this scene. We're just going to say that this thing looks like the military meeting from Star Wars episode four with Darth Vader and all of military generals...it's been a long day people, please bear with us.

"Lord, XANA why have you called us here on such short notice?" a random officer who no one cares about asked.

A black gaseous cloud stood on his "feet" and snapped back. "To put it bluntly, we're getting our butts kicked too much! All of our attacks on Earth have been failing, not to mention our forces in Lyoko constantly get wiped out."

"Maybe that's because you based your minions off of Rubik's cubes, crabs, hornets, cockroaches and bowling balls…not the most threatening objects in the world."

"Are you mocking me?"

(Ideally there would be this really cool scene where XANA would choke the general by just squeezing his fist, however that bit was already done before and since the author does not want to be hit with another lawsuit, we had to cut it for legal reasons.)

Instead, watch as XANA shakes his fist...how exciting.

"We need to think of a good idea for an attack. I feel I like I've tried everything to get at those kids!"

XANA took a few seconds to brainstorm a few ideas in his head.

"I got it! How about I alter a restaurant's food supply so that they'll serve infected meals, thus putting the public in a grave health risk?"

"Sorry XANA, the humans beat you to that idea," a minion spoke up. "They call it McDonalds"

"Curses! Though, I don't understand why that fast food chain is still in business. Can someone tell me why this is happening?"

"Oh that's because you get a free toy with every kids' meal."

"Those humans are more devious that I thought."

In the sake of not having this particular chapter be weighed down with trivial jokes about McDonalds, the story progressed...somehow.

"I have an idea!" Said another random general that you guys won't see again.

XANA was intrigued, "What is it?"

"Why don't you possess a human on Earth and just go to Kadic and kick those kids' butts personally."

"No can do. I can't control humans yet. Remember?"

"Yes but Season two of Code Lyoko is already out and in that installment you _can_ and since this is an intermission chapter you can bend the rules a bit as there is no such thing as continuity."

"You're a genius you know that! We'll attack tomorrow!"

"Hold it!" The first general that no one cares about objected. "Isn't tomorrow the human holiday known as Halloween? I heard Bob from accounting say that it's usually a bad idea to attack humans on that day."

XANA brushed the comment off. "Bah! What does he know?" XANA exclaimed. "I will attack Earth tomorrow. As for blending in, I have the perfect costume that will do that. Then once I get settled into their ranks, I'll give them the most horrific Halloween experience that they'll ever have!"

"I doubt that. Jim rapping in the school auditorium is a pretty tough act to follow."

XANA gulped in surprise as he knew there was no way he could inflict that much torture on the human race.

"Okay…maybe _second_-most horrific Halloween experience."

Now, what kind of evil secret meeting scene would be complete with out the good old fashion evil laugh from the main antagonist? This Halloween was going to be one that Team Lyoko would never forget...

Man who writes this garbage. The author is getting pretty lazy nowadays.

* * *

Jin grabbed the long flowing trench coat on his family's table and put his arms through the sleeves. The Ishiyama siblings picked a really good theme this year for their costumes, they just knew it. Yumi finished tying her dark blue kimono's straps together before she wore the ninja star earrings that dangled all the way down to her shoulders. 

"Aniki, you ready?"

Jin put on the finishing touch to his costume, which was a pair of red Converse sneakers that he borrowed from one of his friends. The twins looked at each other at their outfits and smiled. As they made their way to the door, they slowly began to sink into their character's personas. Wouldn't the students of Kadic Junior High be surprised when they saw them?

* * *

Waking up early was not one of Jim's specialties but he managed to drag his tired form out of bed to get ready for yet another day at school. Apparently there was a package that was delivered to his room. He was delighted with the discovery. 

"WOW! Maybe some gracious fan bought me a new microphone! Or a box of bandages! I really need those things."

To Jim's surprise the packaged yielded a leather trench coat. A very expensive looking on at that.

"Wow, that's a fine looking coat I have."

A hand written note fell from the jacket's pockets which was quickly snatched and read.

* * *

_Dear Jim-Jim,_

_I know you miss your mother very much and I thought I should give you something nice as it's really cold over there. Now, when are you going to get a real job! We sacrificed too much in order to give you the best education possible and you turn around and become a P.E. TEACHER! _

_Also we hope you're not wearing that stupid bandage on your face like you did when you lived with your father and me before. That is such a tacky fashion statement. It would break my little heart to see your face with that thing on._

_With love,_

_Your mom._

_PS_

_Make sure you're wearing clean underwear._

* * *

And he wondered why he moved out of her place in the first place. He pushed aside the thoughts of Jim giving his mom the "hard goodbye" as he had to get ready for his duties around campus. As he walked back to his closet to get dressed, Jim tripped over the cardboard box on the floor and fell face toward his window. (Now if this was an official chapter of the Retelling Series, every single detail of the man's anguish would be chronicled and be explained in such vivid detail that you could feel his pain. Such style of writing is not suited for humor so instead please enjoy this clip of a bear riding a motorcycle.) 

(Crud, this is a fanfic I forgot. I can't show you guys the video…it's your loss really. Well, we now return to your regularly scheduled story.)

"Shoot, I better cover these cuts up. Don't want to be bleeding on this nice coat. Better bust out the bandages now."

* * *

Inside Jeremie's dark room, the creation of the greatest modern marvel in known existence was about to be created. Gripping his wrench while wearing a pair of dark purple gloves, he twisted and torque the nuts and bolts of his machine. With this single invention, we can do it all; end world hunger, create a renewable energy source and of course get rid of Aelita's virus. 

"HEY, EINSTEIN!" Odd greeted loudly.

Jeremie lost all focus and dropped his prized machine to the floor causing it to shatter in a multitude of fragments. Now he was angry.

"Odd, how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my la-bor-a-tory?"

The accused held up his hands and waved them in the air in a defensive manner. "Don't be so uptight. Man you're really taking your character seriously."

The costumed individual dusted his hands off his white lab coat and gave his intruder a once over.

"Computer, run a scan and tell me which character Odd is dressed as for Halloween."

A recording of Aelita's voice came through the speakers and answered the request.

"Database shows that companion Odd has yet to assume the identity of a fictional character."

"Geez man I could have told you that myself."

"QUIET, WOMAN!" Jeremie roared in a strange, German accent.

Odd was offended, "Hey! Just because I wear purple all the time doesn't give you the right to think of me as a girl."

Jeremie yelped in surprise and took a moment to recollect his thoughts all while looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Sorry, it's the costume. I feel like I actually am the person I'm dressed as."

"Point taken," Odd said. "I felt the same way when I dressed up as Jim. Even up until now, I was fighting back the urge to wear a bandage on my cheek for no apparent reason." Odd smiled, letting the other boy that all was forgiven.

"By the way Odd, if you see Aelita, tell her that I've been looking for her all morning."

Now that was a weird request. How on Earth was he going to run into Aelita now? Either he missed a very important detail or Jeremie was showing symptoms of having a fried brain.

"Wait, why tell me this? Isn't she just on Lyoko?"

"No, she's been staying here for the past three weeks don't you remember?"

Three weeks? She was here that long?

"Hold it man! We haven't even gotten close to _"Code Earth"_ and _"False Start"_ in the Retelling Series, yet we still have Aelita enrolled as a student here?"

Jeremie shook his head side to side as Odd overlooked a critical detail. "Remember Odd, this is an intermission chapter. Continuity does not apply here."

"Why do I get the feeling that this will be an overplayed running joke?"

"Because the author doesn't have a single shred of creativity in his body."

Odd put on his most intellectual looking face after hearing that remark. "I believe you have a point there."

After their verbal attacks made on the author, Jeremie noticed that their little morning group was down a member.

"Hey, shouldn't Ulrich be here?" Jeremie asked.

"I was about to ask the same thing. I haven't seen him after he left to take a shower."

"Well let's just hope he doesn't get his butt kicked like last year."

"Hey said that too, I guess he's planning to wear some super cool outfit."

Jeremie looked at the digital clock in his room and made his way to the door making sure he didn't bump into the other occupant.

"I'm heading over to the gate to meet up with Jin and Yumi; you coming?"

"I still need to get my costume ready," the purple clad boy declined. "I have to get it out of its parking space."

Did Jeremie hear that correctly? What exactly did Odd have in store for this year's Halloween celebration? Oh well, all things would come in due time. No use bursting a brain vessel trying to figure out what the other boy was thinking.

* * *

_Kadic Junior High...Old Town reincarnated. A twisted slab of steel, concrete and standardized textbooks. Over here, the laws of the outside world did not matter. The principal and faculty were judge, jury and executioner. _

"Aniki!" Yumi yelled out. "What the heck are you doing? Stop talking to yourself! People think you're some sort of crazy lunatic when you act like that."

Jin defiantly put his foot down and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah right, stop exaggerating things."

Just then a well-to-do business man on his way to work stopped in front of the twin's path and drew out his wallet.

"Here," he said while fishing out a few dollars from the leather case. "Go by yourself some much needed medicine. Obviously your medication is running out."

Yumi had trouble holding back the urge to laugh with this gesture which only annoyed her brother even more.

_What could I do now? Time wouldn't stop the laughs anytime soon so I had to act but then again doing so would not be a good idea. When you were a kid with a new face and one fingerprint checkpoint away from the expulsion committee, doing so could be academic suicide. Should I risk it all and beat this guy to a bloody pulp or play it cool?_

"Aniki!" Yumi yelled for a second time. "You know people can actually hear you whenever you go into monologue mode."

Just to prove her point, the strange business man who had been standing nearby removed his wallet again and produced a few extra bills which he handed over in Jin's direction.

"Here kid, get yourself some medicine...lots of medicine. Clearly, you're off your rocker."

Now late for his meeting, the stranger ran off in the opposite direction as if nothing had happened. Yumi was still wearing her smug grin from earlier.

"This is why Miho is the coolest character in _Sin City_," Yumi said while holding the handles of her two katanas which she kept at her waist. "No pointless dialogue, just loads of butt kicking."

"Ah put a sock in it!" Jin said forcefully before he placed his hands in his trench coat's pockets and walked to school.

* * *

Possessing people was fun. XANA never expected to enjoy this. Humans were a blast to control as they had these little things on their hands called fingers which he could twirl and do all sorts of tricks with. 

"_Weeeeeee!_" XANA said in glee as he waved the digits through the air. Fingers were fun indeed. Too bad he decided to have playtime in the middle of a four-way intersection.

"Hey, punk! Get off the road!" One of the drivers hollered at his direction. Clearly this man too loved to play with his fingers as he made a gesture that let XANA know that he was number one. The possessed human walked back to the sidewalk which ran alongside Kadic Junior High. His objective was in his grasp. Now all he had to do was get inside. Sure he looked out of place with the rest of the students, but that's where his ingenious costume came into play.

"Hey you, only students and faculty are allowed on the grounds during instruction hours," Jim said, wearing his brand new coat and a bunch of extra bandages on his face.

"But I am a student here," the XANA-controlled teenager said.

"Oh, really?" Jim glanced over the individual's body and was not buying the guy's story one bit. He didn't resemble any of the students at the school. "You think I was born yesterday? I've never seen you before."

"That's because I'm in costume."

"You're not dressed up! You're wearing a white tee-shirt and blue jeans for God's sake!"

XANA held the brown paper bag that he kept in his pocket this whole time and held it out for Jim to see.

"Why the heck are you holding a bag?" Jim asked in confusion.

"It's my outfit; I'm going as a trick or treater this year."

"A trick or treater…" Jim repeated.

"Yep!"

"That's the most brilliant costume ever! Come right on in!"

How could humans be so dumb? Really now, first William Hung becomes a professional singer and now this. With idiots like these as enemies it's only a miracle that they haven't lost the war yet.

* * *

Jeremie stood at the gates of Kadic Junior High and patiently awaited the arrival of the Ishiyama twins. Last year's celebration of the event went by pretty uneventful. The only thing exciting that happened was Ulrich getting the tar kicked out of him due to bad luck...and Jim rapping but then again that was an image that Jeremie omitted from his memory. Three specks of pink, green and light blue were slowly making itself known in the corner of Jeremie's eye. There was only one group of people with that particular color scheme. 

"Well, what happened to all of your wonder friends, mister computer genius?" Sissi said in a very obnoxious tone of voice.

Jeremie gave the arrogant girl a smug grin, "You're just jealous because you're dazzled by the power...of science."

After their little outing as the Powerpuff Girls, Jeremie did not wish to even look at Herb or Nicholas fearing the worst. However, Jeremie did see that Sissi was still wearing her regular pink outfit, which meant that she was not dressed for Halloween which in turn spelled out that Herb and Nicholas should be in street clothes themselves.

"Thank goodness you two are wearing pants!" Jeremie yelled out in a joyous manner as if he won the Super Bowl or something of that extreme before acting like his normal self. "What's the matter, guys? Didn't feel like playing dress up?"

Sissi took it upon herself to answer that question. "We're just waiting for the right time to unveil our choices this year," she explained. "I don't want to waste an opportunity where I can make a dramatic entrance. I just hope that my Ulrich dear will be able to see me in my stunning beauty."

"If he's not blinded by your ego," Jeremie said underneath his breath.

Reinforcements came to the boy's aid as both Yumi and Jin had finally arrived on the campus of Kadic Junior High.

"OH, THANK YOU! SOMEONE ELSE I CAN TALK TO!" Yumi pleaded as she ran to Jeremie's side.

"Huh?" her befuddled friend said out of confusion.

"Aniki has been muttering to himself all day as if he was giving out some melodramatic narrative. It's driving me crazy!"

Hearing such comments against his character, Jin marched straight up to his sister and looked her square in the eye.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be cool. Having your own narration is the new hip thing with super heroes now-a-days. Besides, how are you going to stop me?"

Yumi quickly unsheathed the two swords she was carrying all this time and looked at her brother with murderous intent. Jeremie was able to predict what was coming up next and swiftly stepped in to stop her.

"Whoa! Chill out Yumi! You can't kill Jin here!"

"Why not?"

"Cause if you kill a comic relief character then you've forced to turn the rest of this story into one of those moody angst fics where everyone listens to Linkin Park and tries to slice their wrist open."

Yumi dropped her swords instantly after hearing that. She had to go to Plan B now. Thinking back to last year's Halloween, the Japanese girl removed a white index card from her kimono and handed it to her brother. Jin looked at the piece of stiffened paper in puzzlement and began to read it out loud.

"How to keep and idiot busy, turn card over..."

Yumi watched in satisfaction as her older half repeated the command over and over again. "Gets him every time."

Now if this was actually a part of the main series there would be some cool ominous music playing in the background accompanied by these really neat camera angles that make the scene look all intense and stuff. Of course, such things are not possible so XANA has to just settle for just showing up.

Jeremie was the first one to notice the strange person looking at him.

"XANA!"

Yumi and Jin looked at their friend dumfounded while Sissi, Herb and Nicholas just stood off to the side as everyone else forgot about them.

"Jeremie, why did you say this person is XANA?" Yumi asked, filling in the role as the voice of reason. "You kinda have a tendency to jump to conclusions needlessly."

"Just look at the guy! He has a glowing purple aura, electricity is shooting all over the place and the XANA symbol is on his forehead!"

Jin rubbed the bottom of his chin as he was a bit skeptical about the claim. "Those are good reasons to think that way Jeremie, but I'm not entirely convinced."

"Are you mad, Jin! Just look at him!" The costumed scientist protested.

Jin stole a glace at the suspect just in time to see him waving his hand in the air causing tiny sparks of electricity to shoot through his fingertips.

"Still not buying it. Just look at his shirt."

Yumi focused her eyes on the object in question so she could read the text printed on the cotton fabric.

"Not XANA," she said out loud.

"Oh please," Jeremie said in disbelief. "How can you guys not think that this person is XANA in disguised!"

Jin shook his head side to side and spoke, "Nope."

"Weren't you trying to find a way to keep an idiot busy?"

"Oh, yeah!" Jin drew his attention back to his index card and the endless cycle of reading and turning began once more.

* * *

Meanwhile, about six feet away from the site where all of this gut wrenching suspense is occurring, Sissi and the rest of her trio were patiently sitting on the floor waiting for the endless dialogue to pass. 

"Hey Nicholas, got any threes?" Sissi asked as she looked at the set of cards she had fanned in front of her face.

Nicholas scratched his head for several minutes before jumping on his feet in celebration.

"Hey, I got Bingo! You guys think you're so smart, but I won! You're always laughing at me, but who's crying now!"

For some unknown reason, Sissi had an overwhelming urge to beat her dopey friend senseless with a really heavy, blunt object but held this urge back as she didn't want to break a nail at the moment.

* * *

XANA and Jeremie were locked in a heated standstill. Finally, the two mortal enemies were now face to face. This sort of dramatic tension was what they made pay-per-view specials out of. Just think of the buy rates! 

"Why are you here XANA?" Jeremie asked in an authoritative tone.

"It's quite simple really. We're going to settle our little rivalry right now. No more little tricks such as controlling teddy bears and bulldozers. I'm going to settle my score with you little brats personally."

"Well XANA, I have something that I've wanted to say to your face for a long time and now that you're here, it's about time I've done so."

"Oh?" said an intrigue XANA. "Will this be some passionate speech about your undying live for Aelita and how she was worth all the hardships you endured just so save her?"

"Not really." Jeremie cleared his throat and prepared to use his unusual German accent again. "You are stuuuuuupid! You are stuuuuuuuipd! And don't forget...you are stuuuuuuuupid!"

Yumi stepped forward and entered XANA's line of vision. "XANA, you're forgetting something. It's Halloween. You should never attack Earth on that particular day."

XANA clutched his sides tightly as he was having the biggest laughing fits in his computerized existence. "One of my generals said the same thing and we both know that's hogwash. It's just the thirty-first day of October? What the heck can you humans do to stop me?"

What would normally be a dramatic standoff between the forces of good and evil quickly turned into something…awkward. As the deafly silence was broken in a blink of an eye.

"How to keep and idiot busy turn card around. How to keep an idiot busy turn card around..."

XANA felt a large sweatdrop form on the back of his head as he once again found himself questioning the collective intelligence of the human race. Jin soon found the tiny piece of paper he was holding disappear in front of him as it was destroyed by a well aimed purple projectile.

"There!" XANA said forcefully as he dusted his hands off. "That's the end of that running gag."

Yumi resumed the conversation as if nothing had happened. Yet another sight she would have to omit from her memory.

"You want to see what we can do on Halloween XANA?" Yumi said in a threatening manner. Before the possessed human can reply, the Japanese girl whipped out one of her swords and cut the tree that she was standing next to in half. XANA was stunned.

"On Halloween, people not only assume the likeness of the character that they dress as but also their abilities and physical attributes."

"Wow, talk about taking an artistic license with the _Code Lyoko_ universe," XANA muttered to himself.

Yumi then removed her other katana from its protective sheath and pointed its tip in her enemy's direction. "You're going to need a whole army to stop us!"

Such an aggressive statement did not cause XANA to falter one bit. Something was amiss.

"An army you say?" He repeated adding a slight amount of arrogance to seep into his question.

XANA willed the body to snap his fingers, which was the signal for a massive army of Kankrelats to pour through the entrances of Kadic Junior High. The moving blanket of mechanized foes marched in uniform lines that stretched as far as the eye can see. XANA had defiantly pulled out all the stops for this confrontation.

Yumi rubbed her eyes just to see if this was all part of some horrible nightmare. "This is not right guys! G hasn't even gotten close to writing _"False Start" _in his story yet XANA is already able to materialize his monsters on Earth!"

"It's an intermission chapter," Jeremie and Jin said in unison.

Fed up with her oversight, Yumi completed the statement, "Yeah, yeah I know. There's no such thing as continuity."

Kankrelats had a nasty tendency to rudely interrupt conversations with laser fire. Today was no exception. The three Lyoko heroes managed to duck down in time to avoid the glaring red beams of light that were aimed at them. It was around this critical turning point did Sissi's gang return to their side.

"What the heck is going on!" Sissi screamed out as she was overwhelmed by this whole experience.

Jeremie adjusted his glasses then spoke, "Long story short, the school is being attacked."

"ATTACKED! What the heck are we going to do?"

Using his best Clive Owen impression, Jin laid out his own plan. "We stop them Dallas."

Just like in Lyoko, Jin produced two silver handguns from the pockets of his trench coat and began to open fire at the mechanical fiends mercilessly.

Yumi took the front position and began to issue out commands like an experienced war general.

"Aniki, we have to make sure that Jeremie is safe as I don't think he can defend himself from these things. The two of us will have to hold this position until Ulrich and Odd get over here!"

Sissi noticed that she was completely ignored by Yumi's battle plan and made that mistake known.

"Hey! What about me!"

"Go make yourself useful and find Ulrich, Aelita and Odd. We really need their help right now. Take Nicholas and Herb with you just incase."

"In case I get hurt?"

"No, in case I get desperate enough to use them as human shields! Last time I checked they're not too popular with the readers so losing them to the likes of XANA is no skin off my back."

Sissi nodded in agreement and stormed off in the opposite direction leaving Yumi, Jin and Jeremie to fend for themselves.

XANA was now in a taunting mood. Jeremie was not the most adapt person in the world in the realm of combat. It was time to bring this weakness to surface.

"What's the matter Jeremie? Don't you get tired of playing the scared wimp all the time? Why don't you step up and try to take me out with your cool powers? Oh wait—you're Dexter from Dexter's Lab...you have no powers!"

Jeremie raised his index finger and waved it side to side just like how Bruce Lee did in his movies. The gesture conveyed two drastically different messages. Message number one was that XANA was incorrect, plain and simple, while the second one was a warning that a serious beat down was about to take place.

"Who said that I was just Dexter from the animated series?" With that myth dispelled, Jeremie pressed a hidden button on his laptop which called forth a gigantic robotic exoskeleton to warp around his from and behaved as an extension of his own body.

"I'm sure you've read Bleedman's comics before, haven't you?"

Jeremie raised his robot's arms above his head and slammed then into the ground causing the very earth to pulsate underneath the pressure. The unfortunate Kankrelats that were nearby were turned into piles of rubble in the attack's wake.

"I will show you, XANA...the power of science!"

* * *

Sissi felt an immense wave of relief wash over her body as she saw Odd near the staff parking garage of the school. Any help she can find would be of a great service. 

"Odd! Have you seen Ulrich or Aelita?" Sissi asked frantically hoping that the green clad soccer star was somewhere nearby.

The boy in question momentarily abandoned his search to address the question presented before him with a surprised look in his eyes.

"Wow…" he gasped, "that was the closest we'll ever get to sounding like a normal episode. You want me to begin the Sissi bashing as to remind people that they are reading a _Code Lyoko_ fanfic even though all this random stuff has been happening?"

"There's no time for that!"

Herb and Nicholas had a brief game of Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who got to say the next line as both of them hadn't said anything for a while. The match concluded with the smarter of the two emerging victorious.

"Some weird guy shooting purple electric bolts sent a bunch of these mechanical cockroaches to attack the school! Yumi, Jin and Jeremie are fighting them off. They need your guys' help!"

Odd gritted his teeth to show the slight amount of stress he was experiencing. "Not good, I haven't seen Ulrich all day. Run back and tell the others I'll be over there as soon as I get my costume out of here."

"You're costume?"

"Yeah, I had it moved to this area so that no one messes with the paint job."

Sissi and her group did not stay for the explanation and ran off to tell the others the good news. Odd removed a remote from his back pocket before pressing the giant red button that was in the center of the contraption. The very earth beneath him began to shake violently as a gigantic object shot straight into the sky reducing the garage he was standing in front of to be reduced to rubble.

"Uh, oh," Odd gasped as he realized his slight miscalculation. "My mom is so going to kill me."

Meanwhile, a tanned skinned guy wearing glasses and a tall haircut saw the destructive blunder made by the troublemaker and only had one word to comment with.

"Cool."

* * *

How many monsters did XANA bring over? Wave after wave of Kankrelats were disposed of only to be quickly replaced by the next set willing to take its place. XANA pulled out all the stops for this one, it was just impossible for them to get to the factory now. The final fight of their secret war was going to take place, right here, right now. 

"This is just insane!" Jin yelled out. "How can we beat these things? There's too many for us to take on!"

Jeremie herd a set of heavy footsteps approaching him and turned around in response. "We found Odd!" Sissi said triumphantly. "He said he's going to come over as soon as he can."

Those few precious seconds that Jeremie took to avert his eyes was all the time XANA needed to assemble his largest squad of minions and have them gather right in front of his opposition. All six teenagers froze in sheer fright as they were now face to face with their impending doom.

An impending doom that would have happen if a gigantic, blue, robotic foot did not decided to stomp the ground and obliterated the tiny insects.

Being a fan of cartoons, Jin had to slap himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. There was only one robot that had a foot that looked like that.

There sitting, in the front seat of the red convertible that sat on top of the robot's body was their rescuer Odd, who was stuffing his face with a Philly cheesesteak and washing it down with a Mega Slush big glug.

Yumi took the time to blurt out the obvious. "Odd's piloting _Megas_!" she yelled. "How come I can't shake the feeling that it's safer to be the bad guy right now?"

Nicholas had won the Rock-Paper-Scissors competition this time, and milked his single line for all it was worth.

"Where's Aelita? You said you'd bring her too."

From the cockpit's backseat emerged an attractive looking pink haired girl wearing futuristic battle armor stuck her head out the window.

"Hey guys!" The girl greeted cheerfully, waving her right arm in the air as she was having a great time. "Did we miss anything?"

Jeremie was beside himself. "Odd, where did you get this giant robot!"

The pilot took another bite of his sandwich causing his mouth to fill with food. "Internet," his garbled speech dictated. Odd then swallowed the morsel and focused his sights on the man leading the assault against Kadic.

"Odd, according to Megas' readings, the energy that this person is emitting is insane. This person has got to be XANA," the now materialized girl said in her best Kiva voice.

Now that his target was confirmed, it was time to deliver the "Three Reasons" to the possessed human. More than anything this was Odd's favorite part of the TV show and he was going to relish this for all it was worth.

"Listen up you pixilated, computer freak! You smashed...um...yeah! You're not so nice."

Then again, maybe this moment was not worth relishing after all.

Much to the dismay of the Lyoko warriors, there was another individual on campus who did not wish to indulge this moment as well.

"Mr. Della Robbia! What is that abomination you're controlling?" asked the irate school principal.

Not being the best person situated with talking himself out of a potentially dangerous ordeal, Odd just stated the obvious.

"A giant robot."

"You know the full rules here young man. No giant robots on campus."

"But chicks dig giant robots!" Odd protested.

"No exceptions, Odd. We must follow the rules set before us. If I start turning a blind eye now this entire place can fall apart!"

Now what was going to happen next was pretty obvious if you're a Megas fan and if you're not, shame on you. The now agitated Odd maneuvered his instrument of destruction right next to the main building of Kadic Junior High and began stomping the living daylights out of it. His psychotic laugher filled the skies as he willed the robot's mechanical foot up and down, turning the once prestigious center of learning into a collection of rubble. Once the stomping was finished, the wreaked area was pounded by Megas' fist before finally being fully obliterated by the blue machine's full arsenal of weaponry.

It goes without saying that the students who evacuated safely (which was all of them) all cheered their little hearts out.

This act of liberation was powerful enough even to stop the fierce confrontation that XANA and the others were having as the people involved stood dumfounded with what just happened.

"Odd, you idiot!" Jeremie screamed at the top of his lungs. "You smashed up the school! With us unable to get to the factory, how on Earth do you expect us to fix this!"

Aelita's head popped out of the back seat, un-phased with her co-pilot's "mistake."

"Don't worry Jeremie. Before Odd completed Megas, I got a hold of our time warping device and installed it into the system's mainframe.

Without a moment to spare, Aelita checked her holographic computer's schematics as a means of confirmation for herself that the deed was done. Imagine the futuristic girl's surprise when her search yielded no results.

"What on Earth!" She blurted out, in a well-deserved moment of OOCness. "Where's the time device?"

"Ummmm," came Odd's nervous reply. "About that..."

* * *

In spirit of Megas tradition a random flashback was initiated that detailed the device's untimely demise. A large round object with the words "Really fragile, do not break!" printed on it is seen plummeting from the highest building of the school only to fall hard onto the pavement creating a loud crack in its wake. Up on the rooftop stood Odd; scribbling down detailed notes on what just happened all underneath the heading for his science report, "Does Gravity Exist."

* * *

The flashback ends leaving behind a stunned audience in Kadic Junior High. If this script was done in audio format a few crickets could be heard in the background while several tumbleweed rolled by as an extra comedic effect. 

"Maybe we should just continue our fight as if nothing happened," Jin suggested.

"Agreed," the combatants, XANA included, answered at the same time.

The forces of good and evil resumed in their deadly stare down. On one side, fighting in the name of humanity, were Jin, Yumi, Jeremie, Odd and Aelita. Wielding swords, pistols and mechanical pieces of armor and human ingenuity; these were the only pieces of resistance they had. Compared to the limitless forces that were marching to the school, victory would be something that would not be easily obtained.

"Even with Odd here, XANA still has the upper hand," Jeremie said through clenched teeth.

"And without the time device for the Super Calculator, we can't undo all the damage he's causing," said an equally tense Yumi. "We need Ulrich now more than ever. How long can we hold out by ourselves?"

Just as the dramatic tension couldn't get any higher, a booming confident voice sliced through the air caring a sense of authority with it.

"Royal Flush!"

Fifty-two playing cards soared through the air and pierced into the monster's metal armor. The sharp sound of fingers snapping was heard a second later, and the cards all detonated a few milliseconds later. The attack kicked up a cloud of smoke giving the new attacker to casually stride into the battlefield.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Yumi exclaimed as she knew it was Ulrich making yet another late entrance.

The dust cleared revealing the Lyoko group's latest benefactor. Holding a titanium Bo staff and wearing a brown trench coat. The Asian boy held up another playing card which glowed a brilliant shade of purple.

"Good ole Gambit is quite happy that you're happy to see moi." William spoke in a fake Louisianan accent that was almost as bad as the author's attempt to transcribe the dialect into a written form.

Jin was the first person to react to William's presence and he reacted quite violently.

"How _dare _you show your face?"

"Well if it isn't my biggest fan."

"Biggest fan!"

William shrugged his shoulders and gave a smug grin. "Don't try to hide it. You admire me with all your heart. Why else do you look like me, dress like me and have the same taste in color as me as well?"

That latest comment resulted in a collective "_Ooooooo…_" from the onlookers watching this tense moment. Jin didn't let such words get the better of him.

"Listen up, Diet Jin. I was here first and I'm a lot more likeable than you are. You know what they say, sequels are never as good as the originals."

Again, if this was an actual chapter of the Retelling Series, a really cool fight scene would be depicted at this moment. However as since we're going for something humorous nature, a standard cartoon fight cloud would be sufficient.

It goes without saying that Yumi's attention was now drawn to this animated mass of flying stars and fists seeing how both her brother and newest friend were battling inside of it. XANA's keen eye managed to spot this small detail and saw a perfect time to retaliate. He lifted his dominant hand into the air and began to infuse it with his energy creating a giant purple ball of lighting waiting to be hurtled at its intended target. Right when XANA was going to release the obligatory evil laugh that's demanded of every television villain a sharp painful jolt shot through his arm. Looking down at the object that struck him, he was both perplexed and angered by what he saw.

"A rose!"

There, standing on the branch of a nearby tree stood Ulrich Stern, wearing a full tuxedo with a matching cape. He stood underneath the full moon's light; silhouette…

Yeah I know it's two PM where they're fighting but do you want the story to be dramatic or "realistic?"...That's what I thought.

"XANA, your existence on our planet ends now!" Tuxedo Ulrich said with authority.

Simultaneously, the hearts of every girl in Kadic Junior High began to melt. Seeing the local heart throb dress up as a character equally as attractive as him was a double dose of male goodness. Sissi immediately took noticed.

"Herb, Nicholas. It's time."

If one were to pay attention closely, they would be able to see the boy's acne covered face become several shades lighter after hearing that command.

"Sissi, do we really have to?"

"Yes, we do!"

If Herb didn't know any better, he could have sworn he felt the devil himself after that violent order. The yelling proved to be therapeutic for Sissi as she was a lot calmer now and was ready to make her grand entrance along with the rest of her group.

"Here we go!"

In unison Sissi, Herb and Nicholas began twirling in circles cuing a stunning sequence of bright flashing colors and pink bubbles to flash across the screen. Through the aid of a small magic crystal in their possession, the three teenagers channeled the inner strength they possessed to transform into something more power.

Standing before XANA, wearing modified Japanese school uniform for girls was Sailor Sissi more than ready to kick some computer butt.

"In the name of the moon, we will punish you!"

Behind the warrior of truth and justice emerged Nicholas and Herb, wearing costumes similar to their leader's…

"We will not let you get away!" Spoke Herb while Nicholas remained silent and stood in a cool pose.

If internet shorthand could be used to describe something this awkward, the phrase "WTF!" would have fit perfectly.

XANA looked like as if he took a sledgehammer to the stomach after seeing the transformation. His hands quickly worked up from his gut to his eyes as he staggered backwards and clutched at the two white orbs in his host's body.

"Herb in a dress...AGAIN! No wonder why they told me never to attack on Halloween. I thought they were talking about your extra abilities but they were really referring to this! GAH IT BURNS! IT BURNS!"

To describe the immense pain XANA was currently feeling imagine having metal toothpicks dipped in vinegar, heated to over a hundred degrees and covered in tiny barbs being shoved down your eye sockets.

With their leader now writhing in agony, the army of Kankrelats degenerated into a disorganized mob before self-destructing.

"Gah! That was so horrible to look at! I tell you want Jeremie, if you tell that pimple-faced kid to put some pants on for our sake _I'll _activate the time drive and stop this whole thing."

Jeremie nodded his head. "Deal."

* * *

XANA woke up from his dream in a cold sweat. His mouth was gaped open as to take in and release as much virtual oxygen as it could. The ruckus he was making in his room was more than enough to catch the attention of the guard outside his doorway. 

"Are you okay, XANA?" asked Random General Number One.

"I had this terrible nightmare," he recanted. "In it, the kids could fight back on Earth, Odd had a giant robot under his control and Herb was wearing a dress...A DRESS FOR PETE'S SAKE!"

"It's okay, XANA, the thought of Herb in a dress scares even the most battle hardened of us. Now go to bed now."

The guard turned the lights off and XANA removed a tiny item stuff underneath his pillow and held it close to him.

"Nighty-night Mr. Puck."

* * *

**Notes on the Chapter**

No outtakes tonight as I think I gave you a humor overdose so for those of you expecting them sorry.

Yeah I know this chapter is a little more than late in terms of coming to the actual holiday but I thought you guys would like to have another Halloween chapter as the first one was so well-received; better late than never right? Many factors lead to this chapter's delay, mainly the fact I had to re-write "Girl of the Dreams" after it was deleted and college finals. I really pushed myself to get it done on time but my current schedule did allow this to happen.

Ok this chapter was slightly different than the previous Halloween entry. For one it's more "story" driven. I really did not like the random feel the first one had not to mention the costumes really didn't play any essential part into the story other than getting a reaction. The actual cast in this one was a lot smaller as I was more focused on the actual story then just playing dress up. The biggest roadblock I had was stopping myself from going into "Retelling Style" as I thought the humor was slipping in some moments and I really tried to keep the energetic pace up a notch.

Ok for those of you who haven't paid my website a visit in a while let me tell you of two important updates that have taken place. Number one, I uploaded a new radio play "Secluded Allegro" onto my deviantART page where it's MORE than ready to download. The second announcement is that I'm currently holding auditions for episode two of the Retelling Comedy Radio plays. I encourage all those interested in getting a role to audition and have fun.

I'll be taking a break from the Retelling Series, writing wise, to pursue a few audio projects that I've been dying to get done. Don't worry, folks; this fanfic is far from dead. I just wanted to tell you that it's going to be on ice for a while after this chapter. Please do not think I'm stopping work completely as quitting is the furthest thing from my mind. Before I conclude this section I need to give a special thanks to zeakari...I LOVE THE PICTURES YOU DREW FOR ME! … When you post them online please give me the link so I can comment on your wonderful work. Here's hoping you can draw more characters/scenes from my fic as I would truly be grateful for that.

Finally, you guys should thank Ari Rockefeller for proofreading this chapter. He did an excellent job!

As always, here's the master costume list...

Yumi - Miho (Sin City)  
Jim - Marv (Sin City)  
Jin - Dwight (Sin City)  
Ulrich - Tuxedo Mask (Sailor Moon)  
Sissi - Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon)  
Nicholas - Sailor Mars (Sailor Moon)  
Herb - Sailor Jupiter (Sailor Moon)  
Odd - Coop (Megas XLR)  
Aelita - Kiva (Megas XLR)  
Jeremie - Dexter (Dexter's Lab)  
William - Gambit (X-Men)


	18. Episode 13: Plagued

**Disclaimer**

I don't own Code Lyoko. I do not think that the two dollars I have in my wallet would be enough to buy the rights to this awesome series.

**Special Thanks**

To all who auditioned and have been reading this story since the beginning: It's great to see that you guys care enough to leave reviews and help out.

* * *

**Episode 13: Plagued**

The sewer system.

An endless series of tunnels, winding and twisting a crooked pathway through the city's sub-level. Dark and murky, this underground passage of waste has been the subject of horror movies and urban legends alike. These stories weave intricate fables about unseen mutants, hidden colonies of civilization and giant alligators. Of course, these frightful tales of suspense are nothing more than modern fairy tales concocted to entertain the masses. The only noteworthy organism that populates this area is something not based in the world of fantasy. This nondescript four-legged mammal does not have the same notoriety as the mythical beings of city lore, as its presence is more of an annoyance than a dangerous threat.

Nevertheless, even this tiny beast can serve a purpose in the eyes of the enemy. Alone the rat is just a pitiful specimen, but amass an army of them and an imposing force is your ally. All it takes to control the entire pack is just one…and the rest will fall like an endless string of dominoes.

* * *

Running a facility such as Kadic Junior High was a daunting task. First there were the staff meets, then the curriculum review and of course, who can forget about maintaining the building? For the many years Principal Delmas had been employed within the ranks of this boarding school he had done his best to make sure that things went as smoothly as possible. Of course, this meant paperwork… lots of paperwork. He had finished applying his signature to the last sheet of paper that occupied his inbox when a mechanical buzz drew his attention to the machine on his desk.

"Mr. Simone is here to see you," the secretary on the other line said rather dryly.

Mr. Delmas was not sure if he had arranged a meeting with the school psychologist today, but if the man was willing to go through the trouble of going to his office, he must have something important to say.

"Excellent, send him right in."

The door opened slowly on its hinges, which allowed the bearded man to step inside. Principal Delmas turned his hand so that the palm faced the ceiling as an inviting gesture to let his new guest to take a seat.

"So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" He asked.

Mr. Simone took a moment to remove a few files and packets of paper from his suitcase and laid them onto the desk for Mr. Delmas to see.

"As you know," he started, "aside from my responsibilities of meeting the psychological needs of our students, I've taken an acute interest in their grades, as a means of following up on my cases."

Principal Delmas scanned the papers that littered his workspace and could tell that he was staring at grade reports just by the way the numbers were printed on the paper.

Mr. Simone gave his boss a brief second to return his gaze back onto him before he laid his cards out on the table.

"I found one."

That "something important" made itself known right then and there. The principal didn't even need to ask "Found what?" Instead, the man lowered his gaze and closed his eyes to think over those words.

"The Scholastic Achievement Grant…so it's been a year already. How time flies."

It was forgivable that this particular date was forgotten given the sheer size of the principal's to-do list. Still, the fact that he only needed a friendly reminder was quite a feat.

Another file was thrown onto the table compliments of Mr. Simone.

"I've already taken the liberty of compiling some data on our latest candidate. In all actuality I might even go as far as saying that he's _overqualified_ for this award." The man then let out a small chuckle at his own joke before coming back to his serious expression. "In all honesty, sir, once he passes these tests it will give our school's reputation a significant boost, and hopefully a few extra enrollments next year."

A strange pang developed in the pit of Mr. Delmas' stomach as the exact rationale of why this specific date was forgotten came back to him.

"Hopefully, he will fare better than our last candidate."

* * *

Of all the hours, why did his class have study hall right when the day looked the best it had in a long time? Odd was beginning to think that there was some sort of conspiracy against him that's sole mission was to limit the amount of fun he was having in school. First he had Ms. Hertz, one of the most boring teachers he had had in his short life. Then there were the painfully slow lectures in his literature class. And of course, there was XANA.

Oh, XANA; Odd could write an entire book on how the evil program was out to ruin his life (besides the random attacks on his safety). Why was it that whenever he had a bad day, such as when the water heather broke or when he was forced to critique a novel, XANA wouldn't show his ugly mug? Of course after the battle was won, Odd would be sent back through time and get to relive those wonderful incidents all over again.

Not being the type to stay down and out for long, Odd pulled his sketchbook out from his backpack and started doodling an original character he had in his head. Jim told the class that this time was meant for studying, and Odd was doing just that—studying. It might not be for a class that he was struggling in, but at least it was something productive.

A few pencil strokes later, the piece of paper was quickly torn out of the book and was converted to a paper ball. His original design looked too bland for his taste and he began working anew. Not needing the crumpled drawing anymore, Odd flicked the piece of trash directly ahead of him. It didn't matter where it went.

* * *

Yumi couldn't help but giggle to herself as she watched Ulrich struggle with the multitude of physics questions Mrs. Hertz had assigned to him. The sight of her dear friend rubbing his temples with his index finger and tapping his pencil against the table was quite funny, in a peculiarly cute way. Yumi scooted her chair a bit closer to the perplexed boy to offer him her assistance. She still remembered most of her lessons from last year. Surely, if she helped him it could brighten his mood a bit. Ulrich saw her advance, looked up, and smiled as he welcomed her company. This was done right after he swatted away a bothersome piece of trash that had happened to roll inside his workspace.

Everything was coming up roses for Odd. His little impromptu sketch was now looking more impressive than some of his more recent works. Sometimes he amazed even himself with his drawings. There was nothing like a good writing session in the morning to get one's day jump-started. Sure, he was supposed to use this free time to hit the books, but he was on a roll now and didn't want to be stopped.

The sketch-book was raised a bit higher so that the entire image could be taken in at once. Everything was perfect. The figure's proportions, the shading, the background… it was clearly his best drawing yet.

Then again, the perspective did seem to be a bit off… and the pose wasn't really as dynamic as he intended it to be. Of course he would change this after he altered the character's costume design.

Who was he kidding, this thing was garbage. There was only one thing left to do with it and that was to crumple it up and throw it away.

"Man, this library is totally cramping my style," Odd mused. "Do you know how many times I had to redraw this picture?"

That particular question was aimed at the headphone-wearing student sitting calmly next to him, who just happened to be Jin Ishiyama. The Japanese boy looked up and saw the paper ball that Ulrich "disposed" of a few seconds ago.

"Fifteen-love," was his answer.

Odd had to raise an eyebrow at that response. "What kind of math class did you flunk out of? I only drew this thing twice, not fifteen, and what's with you calling me 'love?' I know we're friends and all but we're not that close."

Jin exhaled slowly, realizing his purple inquisitor did not understand the full context of what he was saying.

"Ulrich deflected your serve."

He pointed his index finger at the studious introvert and repeated the first half of his message.

"Fifteen."

The same finger then turned its attention toward the crumpled piece of paper that lay near Odd's foot.

"Love."

A grin of devious intent surfaced on Odd's face that broke whatever calm feeling Jin was currently experiencing. Those failed drawings would have to wait, Odd found something else to pass the time.

* * *

"If I have to answer one more problem on the concept of momentum, I'm going to lose it," Ulrich said through his clenched teeth. His latest homework assignment was more of an exercise in patience than in knowledge.

Yumi smiled in the boy's direction and took a glance at his textbook and its over-complicated definition of the word. Perhaps if she provided a simplified version of the idea he would be able to understand it.

"It's really simple when you think of it," she explained. "Momentum is just the value of an object in motion, based on its speed and total mass. When the object hits something, the momentum is transferred between the two."

The confused look in Ulrich's eyes told Yumi that she wasn't fairing any better than the textbook's author. It looked like she would have to use an example close to home to help make her point fully clear.

"It's like playing soccer. When you kick, you transfer the momentum of your foot to the ball, which causes it to move down the field. Or when you watch a tennis player smash the ball onto the opposite end of the court. That's another example."

The paper ball he batted away so many minutes ago returned with a vengeance. It streaked passed his head, barely grazing his temple in the process. Looking up, he saw Odd with his palm still extended and a rather smug look on his face. Ulrich didn't need Yumi's help in determining that his best friend was the source of this latest disturbance.

Odd, on his part, was wildly pumping his fists in the air. Sure, if one were to look at his "accomplishment" he did nothing more then hit a paper ball across the table…but it felt so good he just had to celebrate.

"You got served!" The boy exclaimed, knowing full well how bad of a pun he had cracked. His wild movements began to subside, and he directed his attention toward Jin who was now obligated to play out his bit part in this miniature tournament.

"Alright man, tell me the score now."

It was at this point in the game that Jin was mentally kicking himself for giving Odd such a ridiculous idea as paper ball tennis. Not to mention he was too engrossed in his reading to actually pay any sort of attention. There had to be a person who he could dump the responsibilities of being a scorekeeper onto. He turned to his left and saw a female student with an array of pencils, pens, and coloring instruments before her, putting the finishing touches on her latest picture. Not entirely knowing who she was did not prevent Jin from asking her to be his substitute for Odd and Ulrich's game.

"You!" Jin said calling her out catching the wavy haired girl by surprised. "Keep score for those two!"

The student lifted her head up and rolled her eyes, not out of annoyance but as if she had expected something like this to happen to her eventually.

"What are you talking about, Jin?"

His eyes widened and blinked a few times when he realized the stranger he had selected at random knew his name.

"How on Earth do you know me?"

"We're in the same class, silly. Remember?"

The look in the eccentric boy's eyes was as if he had suddenly come up with the answer to a million dollar question with that realization. The artistic student in the conversation made a silent vow to draw that expression one day, as it was too good of a face to go by unnoticed.

"Oh yeah—Rebecca!"

Jin's eyes darted around the library to look for something to talk about to avoid the awkwardness he was feeling on account of his failure in the department of short-term memory. A change of subject was in order.

"Like the cat-girl drawing," he said. Jin pointed at the yellow, white and black image that was etched on the paper. Clearly a lot of time and effort was spent on the picture.

Rebecca was unfazed by his "diversionary tactics".

"So what's this about being a scorekeeper?"

Despite his rather tactless request, Rebecca couldn't help but feel charmed by his somewhat blunt delivery.

"Odd and Ulrich are playing paper ball tennis. The score is fifteen all."

"What are you talking about?" Rebecca asked one more time, trying to get a clearer picture of what was going on.

She looked to Jin expecting an answer but got instead the sight of him reading. This was an obvious ploy made on his part to totally ignore her question; that way she did not have a chance to reject his "offer."

"Unpredictable as always," Rebecca muttered under her breath while she got closer to the game so that she could get a better view. She had nothing better to do, and this might prove to be a fun little diversion for her since she was quite bored.

* * *

Yumi stared directly ahead of her and felt the sudden urge to blink a few times to confirm that what she saw was real and that she wasn't dreaming. She honestly did see a rolled up paper ball come flying in her direction, compliments of Odd, as if he was playing a game of tennis.

"That was very strange…yet quite relevant to what I was talking about before."

She only allowed the awkward thought to sit for a brief second before her sense of reason returned to her. There was no longer a need for Ulrich's book to remain open. Once his competitive spirit was sparked, less important things like studying were put to the side.

* * *

A few chairs away from the heated competition sat Jeremie, the only student in the library who could afford to forego studying as he was well versed in the material that was taught to him. He thanked the powers that be that he possessed such a talent for completing his assignments at such a rapid pace, which granted him more time to pursue more enjoyable activities. Of course some reconnaissance work was in order so as not to expose his secret. From the visual data he collected, this particular threat was minimal at best. The student closest to him was Mike, and he was too busy using his pencils as substitute drumsticks. Needless to say, the coast was clear.

"Hey, Aelita," Jeremie greeted. His voice was barely above a whisper.

The girl had a keen eye to detail, so she instantly was able to see that Jeremie was not communicating with her in the familiar setting of his dorm room.

"I take it that Yumi and the others managed to get you outside."

Jeremie was always charmed by Aelita's unintentional sense of humor. It managed to rouse feelings of laughter without being as piercing as some of the jokes Odd threw his way.

"Study period in the library."

If Aelita leaned any closer than she was doing now, she would fall over on her face for being so off balanced.

"Study what?" She repeated as the second half of the statement escaped from her understanding due to it being so soft.

"Study period in the library. I have nothing to do, really; I'm done with all my work." He tacked on an explanation at the end as if doing so would make up for the lack of volume in his words. He had to watch what he said though, as the room's stillness permitted even the tiniest sound to cut through the air.

Then again, the general feeling of apathy lingered, as well as the courtesy of the other students. Most likely if Jeremie did have a slip of the tongue it would go unnoticed; no one really seemed to care about what he was doing. Of course, Ulrich and Odd's paper ball tennis game was able to shake things up a little bit.

"Much better," Jeremie said in a slightly louder voice.

Aelita let herself take a sigh of relief as she no longer needed to focus so intently on what Jeremie was saying, which made the listening process much easier for her.

"So, why were you so quite a few seconds ago?"

"I couldn't talk so loud since I'm in a library."

"A library?"

It now dawned on Jeremie that this was probably the first time that word had been brought to her attention. An explanation was in order.

"It's a place where people store information. Think of it as a giant written database where you can access anything you want…but you have to keep quiet."

The antics of Ulrich and Odd served as the backdrop to the library's introduction. The best friends were now well-matched rivals looking to best each other in this unique game of skill and dexterity. On one side of the playing field was Ulrich, whose movements were lightning quick and unrelenting. His opponent was just as fierce and possessed an uncanny sense of determination. The Ishiyama twins found themselves partaking in the contest as well, acting out coaching roles and looking for holes in their opposing player's strategies. Yumi was far more useful here, as Jin was quite detached from his "duties." He still had yet to peel his eyes away from the book he was reading and wasn't giving Odd the time of day.

Jeremie took in the vibrant atmosphere for only a second, then returned his focus to Aelita's virtual eyes, which were patiently waiting for him.

"That way you don't disturb those around you," Aelita promptly responded. She was always a fast learner and today was no exception, but there was one thing she forgot to include.

"Well, that and you gotta be quite for the game point."

* * *

This was it. The last inning, the final countdown, the home stretch. This was what the game boiled down to. After this serve, one would walk away the victor and the other was going to get a big slice of humble pie.

"It's go time," Odd muttered to psych himself up.

Just before his hand could come into contact with the crumpled ball, Jin intervened.

"Remember the plan Odd."

The person the sentence was addressed to nodded in agreement. Though…it was kind of hard to take this sort of thing to heart, when the one giving the advice did not even bother to lift his head above the pages of his book.

"What plan? This is the first time you even talked to me since we started."

"Yeah I know, but it sounded real cool so I couldn't resist."

"Do you have anything useful to say?"

By now, the conversation seemed like it would have been more fitting if it was taking place in the school's cafeteria or outside. One could not blame Odd for wanting to give his "coach" a good smack on the head, for he was being more than just uninterested. Instead of receiving some sort of advice, he was treated to an unusual murmuring from Jin as he went back to his previous activity of reading.

"Crouching jab, forward Hi-En-Zan."

What the heck was he saying? If Odd didn't know any better he could have thought the Japanese boy was speaking in a foreign tongue.

"C-Groove level two Hou-Ou Ten-Bu-Kyaku cancels into Hou-Ou Kyaku."

This was when Odd started feeling like a fool for not noticing the signs earlier. Jin had been reading a fighting game strategy guide all this time. No textbook in the world can hold that boy's attention like that.

"I can't believe he'd rather research combos than help me beat Ulrich."

The fact that he ranked pretty low on someone else's priority list made him sink a bit lower into his chair, and he gave an expression so ridiculous looking that it made Yumi wish she had a camera to capture it.

"Hey buddy, can we switch coaches? I think mine is broken."

"Sorry Odd, no can do. I can't have you learning the secrets to my undefeated playing style."

"Undefeated playing style? Isn't this is the first game we're playing?"

"Well…it will be undefeated after I beat you."

To those who were watching, this was truly a shocking turn around. Seeing Ulrich display such confidence was just as rare as a game of paper ball tennis. It was only during such intense moments that he freed himself from his inhibitions.

Confident Ulrich or not, Odd wasn't going to let an opportunity to crack a joke escape him.

"My, aren't we feeling arrogant today,"

"I only learn from the best."

When he wanted to, Ulrich could have quite the smart mouth. This was definitely something Odd would remember for quite a while. Clearly the crowd was on the star soccer player's side now. The only way he could save face was a quick and decisive victory.

"You asked for it!"

Rebecca held her arm in the air holding a rather decisive pose with the two players looking on at her. Such an intense game this was, and she was having a blast overseeing it. Before the final point could be determined, her official duties as scorekeeper and referee had to be completed.

"Players ready?"

The boys both gave her a nod before they began to stare holes through each other.

"GO!"

The paper projectile flew off the palm of Odd's hand to Ulrich's side of the playing field, where it bounced off the mahogany surface and was then deflected by the receiver's hand traveling back in the opposite direction at an even faster speed. It had been quite a while since the two boys had enjoyed themselves like this, as the game was just as fun as it was intense. By now the boys did not even bother to permit the object they were striking to hit the table. Back and forth, the circular ball bounced from one contestant to the other, picking up speed with each successful hit that came its way.

Odd was no sports strategist but he knew he was in a pinch. He couldn't keep up this rapid fire pace for long and it was only a matter of time before Ulrich would outlast him. If he was going to win this thing, he had to end it soon.

With a swift horizontal hit, he sent the ball back to Ulrich at an unusually fast speed. This caught the boy off guard and caused him to block the shot out of reflex rather than thought. This was the opening that Odd created for himself. With his friend's jerky block, the crumpled drawing's velocity slowed down and was now a pop fly, rather than the speeding bullet it was before. He stretched his hand back as far as it could go and snapped the muscles in his arm as if were one giant rubber band.

"Ha!"

The blonde boy's ferocious grunt only added to the shot's already awesome power. By the time Ulrich's eyes had zeroed in on his target, it was already making its way past the table's edge and onto the floor.

"Bingo!" Odd cried. Already the ball was flying over Ulrich's head and was well out of his reach. All he had to do now was wait for it to hit the floor and the game would be won, but that never happened. Ulrich's never-say-die attitude kicked into high gear as idea after idea of possible counters to Odd's attack flashed through his mind. If Ulrich's arms were not long enough to intercept the round projectile, then he would just have to extend his reach to do so. In a move that was just as daring as it was cunning, Ulrich shifted his chair onto its hind legs and anchored himself to the table with his foot fully extended in front. Now fully armed with an extended range of motions at his disposal, Ulrich let his reflexes take control.

"Game over."

With on last mighty smash, the ball was sent out of Ulrich's side of the playing field and into the face of a very shocked looking Odd. There it quietly tumbled down his body where it lay to rest on the wooden surface where it had originally sat.

One glance revealed to Yumi that the audience watching the game was just as surprised by the star soccer player's bold move as she and Odd were. No sooner was this standstill created than Ulrich began to lose his fragile sense of balance on account of how physically taxing it was to hold himself up. The others could only watch as his only means of support was dislodged from the table's edge, causing the unlucky boy to fall over backwards in a comical fashion.

Ulrich braced himself for the pain he would feel once his body would come into contact with the floor. A split second after he made this mental resolve Ulrich's entire being was jolted by the chair's sudden stop. For sure he had collided with the ground by now. However, if that was the case, why did he feel as if nothing had happened?

"Can't you pick another time to cause a commotion?"

The silence that resounded in the library was so prevalent that one could hear a pin drop. Whatever feelings of jubilation that Odd and Ulrich had helped to create was squashed by the emergence of two students.

There, supporting a teetering Ulrich with one of his hands was a rather peeved looking Dirk Kap Hwan.

If Ulrich was expecting any help from his fan group he had just recently won over, he was gravely mistaken. Dirk and Clayton's intimidating aura made even the bravest of students slink away from their gaze. It was a miracle that Ulrich and his group of friends could keep their composure in the midst of those two.

Odd was always the first person to "welcome" those who wished the group harm with his sarcastic wit and showed no hesitation in proving this fact true.

"Aw, man! It was just getting good, too. How are we supposed to enjoy our game with these apes on the court? Does anyone have any baboon repellent?"

Those brave enough to watch the standoff were amazed by the amount of self-restraint Dirk employed after hearing such a scathing remark. Maintaining his composure, the well-dressed antagonist gently set Ulrich's chair down so that it rested on all four legs once more.

"When you have the third highest grade in class you tend understand things the first time they're mentioned," the Korean casually responded, as if he was quoting a fact rather than proclaiming superiority.

"No surprise coming from a person who's taken the class before," Ulrich interjected in a manner reminiscent of all the insults he threw Sissi's way.

It was only at such a tense moment that Jin finally pulled his nose away from his book and acknowledged that there were activities going around him that were more important than finding out how to do a five-hit combo string with one of his favorite SNK characters.

"Watch out, Ulrich, if you tick Dirk off, he's gonna yell, Tae Kwon Do no shinzui...Misemashou!"

Jin's words were so out of context that it even drove the usually quite Clayton into speaking up.

"What is your brother babbling on about?" He asked an equally confused Yumi.

"The Japanese I understood. Aniki said if you ticked Dirk off he would yell, 'The essence of Tae Kwon Do, I will show you'. Now how it pertains to our discussion…that I can't say."

Jin felt his reference to have been so obvious that their ignorance was almost painful to him.

"I can't believe you guys don't know what I'm talking about!!"

Thumbing through the pages of his prized strategy book, Jin turned the book so that its pages faced away from him. Now able to read the unique piece of "literature", Dirk saw a man wearing a white and blue Tae Kwan Do to-baulk staring back at him. It was only when he read his name that he began to understand Jin's warped sense of "logic".

"Kim Kap Hwan."

"And to think this is the same guy who floored you when we all fought in the forest," Clayton replied. He had a hard time envisioning the goofy fighting game fan as a skilled martial artist.

With the Troublesome Duo's initial feelings of rage now behind them thanks to the uncanny thought pattern of her brother, Yumi seized the opening to calm the tension that had been created.

"We didn't do anything intentionally to annoy you. Can't you just leave us alone and let bygones be bygones?"

Dirk took a step forward as to approach the Japanese girl, which quickly caused Ulrich, Odd and Jin to rise to their feet as to anticipate his next move.

"Ok people, break up the party!" came the booming, gruff voice that belonged to the school's one and only physical education instructor.

Jim had every reason to approach the cluster of teenagers. There should be no reason why the five of them would be standing in such a manner, especially since he had ordered the class to sit still and focus on their studies. This quiet activity should not have involved everybody standing up.

That, and the game of paper ball tennis conducted earlier. He would have intervened sooner, but the article in his latest sumo magazine was too interesting to leave.

Clayton scoffed at that last comment. "What person in their right mind would invite those losers to a party?" he grumbled.

Already Jim sensed that he was dealing with an unruly bunch. If he was going to get any obedience from them, he was going to have to start enforcing the campus' rules.

"So, you guys wanna play hardball, huh? Well, I can step it up as well!"

The library door opening behind him informed Jim that a late straggler was going to waltz into the room at any moment. It was time to show these young rebels just who was in charge here. His hands reached out for the person's earlobe and began his attack.

"You! Two hours detention! That will teach you about coming to class tardy."

The collective snickering from those watching caused Jim to raise an eyebrow. This was not the reaction he was going for. He was trying to give these children a scare, not entertain them!

Of course, with all the things they watch nowadays, he could be re-enacting a humorous scene from a movie they just saw. That's the way trends worked; like that one time where students would ask him if he was a fan of hip-hop music on account of the band-aid he always wore on his face.

Fortune smiled on him. At least one student was sympathetic to the grave mistake he unknowingly committed.

A rather hesitant Yumi raised her index finger at the unlucky person held in the PE teacher's clutches.

"Jim, are you sure you want to punish that particular person who just walked in?" she said, stifling a laugh.

The large man rubbed his square jaw. Clearly this was all just a ruse to get him to forget his duties as a teacher. To think he was almost fooled by this.

"Unlike you five, I respect the rules on this campus and as a highly respected member of this faculty..."

"Let's not go overboard with the bragging, Jim. Save words like that for the fiction section of this place," came Odd's rather punctual quip for he remembered the last time a teacher said that Jim was admired by the students.

"A HIGHLY RESPECTED member of this faculty!" Jim bellowed once again as if to salvage what little dignity he still had. "It is my sworn duty to enforce the rules of this school and to hand out punishments to those who break them."

Ulrich was beside himself with laughter and so was Clayton for Jim's blunder was so potent that it drove these mortal enemies to laugh in each other's company. Even Dirk allowed himself to smile at the sight.

"Priceless."

Yumi spoke again in an attempt to maintain order and to enlighten Jim on exactly what he was doing.

"All I have to say is…if that is a student's ear you're holding, then why can you grab it while standing upright?"

When that was brought to his attention, Jim began to wonder the same thing. To lay his curiosity to rest, he turned his head to see exactly who he was holding.

"MR. DELMAS!?"

That revelation took the wind right of his sails, and was the catalyst for the final roar of laughter from the students watching. Aside from the overly embarrassed look his face and posture conveyed, Jim was handling the shock rather nicely. The school principal casually strolled through the throng of children whose parents entrusted him with their care; there was someone he had to speak to.

"Jeremie."

His name was spoken in a casual manner as if to start a conversation, rather than to instill fear, like Jim tried to do a few minutes ago. During Mr. Delmas' stroll, his keen eye caught a glimpse of the blonde boy closing his laptop, but paid no heed to this minute detail.

"Yes sir?"

"I would like to speak to you in my office after this period."

Nothing more came from the man's mouth afterwards and he walked out of the room, taking with him the sensible authority that kept the rest of the young students in check—something Jim couldn't do on a consistent basis without shouting at the top of his lungs.

Of course, being the quick tempered man he was, Jim was more than willing to fill the profound silence the principal left in his almost regal exit in the best way he knew how, and that was barking out the names of those who had "wronged" him as if he was a military drill instructor.

"Stern! Della Robia! Mil! Kap Hwan! Ishiyama!"

"Which one?" Odd retorted as he blew up the tiny mistake Jim made to giant proportions.

"Both of them!" Jim was in no mood to play games, a fact that Odd found out the hard way.

Rebecca was glad that she had yet to be recognized as part of the group, and slowly distanced herself from the others to avoid drawing any more attention to herself.

By now, those who had their names called had gathered in a small group in front of the teacher, wondering what was in store for them. Simultaneously, both Yumi and Dirk moved their way to the front of the crowd, thinking that one of them would have to address Jim. The tension in the library rose to new levels now that the two enemies were just a foot apart from each other. With the people he had summoned standing before him, Jim was now ready to hand out their just deserts.

"I tell you guys to sit down and be quiet, and yet I see all of you causing a racket, and out of your seats! So unless you guys can give me a good reason why you did that, consider yourselves the proud recipients of three weeks of detention!"

It was obvious that the man's temper was getting the better of him, for now the punishment he was willing to hand was a bit on the harsh side. Jin's voice was the first to reach the teacher's ears as he was the one who reacted the earliest.

"No way!"

Ulrich rolled his eyes as he was used to getting yelled at by the man. Such an experience was not new to him.

"Tell me about it," he added. "Jim's really losing his head over this."

He casually turned his head in the direction the emotional outburst came from…and was surprised to see that the area he was starring at was vacant.

"Jin?"

A few feet away, the brown haired boy heard the sound of a strategy guide being slammed on the table.

"It's possible to do an Ultimate Psycho Crusher after just a jump-in roundhouse, two jabs and a crouching medium in Capcom Vs. SNK 2?! You gotta charge petition like crazy to be able to pull that combo off!"

It only now dawned on Ulrich that Jin was still not paying attention to the drama going around him. How Jim managed to not see this would never be explained.

The prospects of having three weeks detention did not sound appealing to Yumi and Dirk. The two dark clad Asians gave each other uneasy glances to show their discomfort with their proposed punishment.

Dirk spoke barely above a whisper as he only wanted Yumi to hear what he was saying.

"I don't suppose you have any bright ideas on you right now, do you?"

The Japanese girl was shocked. She would have never pictured such a proud person to be reaching out for help. Still having feelings of animosity, Yumi flat out refused his request.

"Didn't reading all those books about strategy prepare you for this?"

Though not as piercing as her brother's sense of sarcasm, Yumi's brash opinion did a good enough job driving her point home.

"Very funny. But I don't think that my testimony would be very convincing by myself so I'm asking for your assistance. Unless you have a hidden agenda where you actually want to spend three weeks locked in a room with two of the people you most hate and this cheery fellow, I suggest you help."

Yumi closed her eyes as if to ponder her predicament. Not too many options at her fingertips. The only way she could avoid such a punishment was to ally herself with one of the most antagonistic individuals she had the misfortune to encounter.

"Fine, just follow my lead."

"Don't mess this up."

Staring her PE teacher in the eyes, Yumi told her side of the story. She could only guess how her volatile instructor would react to her story and if Dirk would stay true to his word.

"Well Jim, at first I was helping Ulrich with his physics homework because he was having a hard time understanding the concept of momentum…"

Ulrich's ears turned a slightly darker shade of red after she mentioned his incompetence in his studies. Sure, his friend was telling the truth in order for everyone to escape punishment, but still…did Yumi really have to say this fact out in the open for everyone to hear? It was so embarrassing.

"Just then I noticed a small paper ball by his side and I had an idea..."

The mentioning of the object Odd and Ulrich used in their little game was a pivotal moment in her little fabrication. If she just told Jim that the little bedlam in the library was really just an innocent demonstration for Ulrich on the concept of momentum then they would be off the hook for sure.

"I batted the ball gently with my fist so that…"

Yumi gasp in surprised as Dirk rudely stepped in front of her, as to instantly gain Jim's attention. In a blink of an eye, Yumi had gone from being in total command of her situation to gawking like an idiot.

"That's when she suggested to her friends to start their little game. I only got out my chair to tell them to stop as they were becoming too rowdy for their own good."

The Lyoko group took a collective step back after hearing Kap Hwan's blatant lie. He had taken the liberty to fill in the gaps in Yumi's story, changing the meaning and context of what happened. Such a drastic difference went by unnoticed, because Jim believed the boy's words.

"I get it now…" Jim started. "Yumi and her group of friends were goofing off like they have a tendency to do and you were just wanted to them to be quiet."

The pieces from this mishmash jigsaw finally came together, confirming to Yumi that the suspicions she had from the beginning were correct all along. Dirk had no intention of being helpful at all. This was a set up. Odd too saw the grim path this game of twenty questions was going and quickly tried to control the damage as best as he could.

"C'mon, Jim. You know that's not the truth. Don't let Dirk fool you like that!"

"ENOUGH!"

None of this was helping to calm Jim's temper. He didn't have the time or the desire to listen to this constant bickering any longer. It was time for this argument to end and judgment to be passed.

"Yumi, for being the cause of this whole mess I'm giving you three weeks of detention effective immediately!"

"But sir…"

"I don't want to hear it." Jim abruptly cut her off. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood right now, or else I would have given your friends the same punishment. I'll be looking forward to seeing you after school today."

Any further objections Yumi wished to voice were drowned out by the sound of the bell ringing and the parading students who filed out to the courtyard to lunch. Resisting any longer would be futile; the battle had been lost and Dirk was enjoying the spoils of his victory. Now wearing the arrogant smug that she had grown accustomed to, Kap Hwan leaned a bit closer as to further torment her.

"Next time Yumi, keep your comments about me to yourself. I would say this has been an unpleasant experience for me, but that would be lying."

With his hands in his pockets, Dirk spun on his heel and made his way to the door with Clayton following close behind and a smile on his face.

If took the combined efforts of Ulrich and Odd to calm Yumi down and stop her from using Kap Hwan as a practice dummy for new technique she learned on how to break a man's arm in three locations.

* * *

Just like they agreed upon moments ago, the four friends would wait outside of the building that housed Mr. Delmas' office and patiently await Jeremie's return. With nothing exciting to watch in front of them, their little waiting game felt more tedious than it really was.

Odd turned his head from his sitting position looking at his friends on the other side of the doorway who looked just as bored as he was.

"So, you think Einstein did something really stupid and is getting a mouthful from the principal?"

Ulrich's head perked up after hearing his roommate's theory. It was the most obvious suggestion and the easiest to accept given the fact that the principal rarely made such a public ordeal of asking a student to visit his office.

"I doubt it," the green-clad student said looking out at the courtyard. "The only time Jeremie got in trouble was when we made it looked like he spray painted that picture of Jim on the wall and that was our idea."

"Maybe it had something to do with Taelia," Odd suggested. "Jeremie could have had a lapse in memory and tried talking to her again since she looked so much like Aelita and it creeped her out."

Another plausible theory. After all the fuss that Taelia instilled with her mere presence at Kadic, perhaps Jeremie tried to talk to her one too many times after all the chaos resulting from the Samurai had been resolved.

Ulrich shook his head. "I don't think so. I recently talked to Sissi concerning her and she told me that Taelia was an orphan. That's why she was pretty hesitant when it came to talking about her family life."

"I suppose…but if it's not Einstein's fault and if Taelia has nothing to do with this, then why all the fuss?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. But until then all we can do is sit and wait."

Letting his sentence come to a full stop, Ulrich couldn't help but be puzzled by Yumi's silence. Normally in a discussion like this she would have been the one who supplied the answers. The perturbed look that she was wearing was all the explanation he needed in regards to her foul mood. As if to cement his findings, when Yumi finally did speak, it was on a rather obvious subject.

"Who does Kap Hwan think he is?"

Such a harsh statement, though warranted, was quite a shocker for the group. It was usually the likes of Sissi who was able to penetrate Yumi's emotional barrier and really get a rise out of her. Sure, her experiences with Dirk in the past have been on the shaky side, but she never really let it get to her…until now.

Then again, when such a person is the direct cause of you getting three weeks of detention from your PE teacher, you have every right to be angry.

Jin chimed in with his own response. "Just when I thought he calmed down a bit, he starts acting like his old self. First that guy attacks me near the cafeteria and now he's playing mind games with my sister. When I get my hands on him…"

He made a rather violent gesture with the aid of his legs and elbows that if Dirk's head was positioned between the two limbs, a trip to the emergency ward would have been in order. His rather graphic demonstration was halted by the door finally opening.

* * *

His friends were near the doorway but he didn't acknowledge them. It was quite rude, but when the others learned what just happened they would be willing to forgive him. What the principal uttered to him left him in a state of shock. The rest of the meeting went by as if it were a dream. Mr. Delmas' and the psychologist's mouths moved slowly up and down over the backdrop of his parent's cries of joy. Such a sensory overload was too much for one boy to fathom. Each step he took away from the office brought him closer to reality inch by inch.

Yumi shed her bitterness as there were more pressing matters for her to attend to.

"Jeremie, what happened in there?"

"You know how the principal is: making elaborate speeches whenever he can," Jeremie started. "Well he told me that the school psychologist has been observing me."

The oldest member of the team increased his walking speed so that he could catch up with his friends before he threw in his two cents.

"Since when did our school have a psychologist and why is he 'observing' you? It always seems like we attract all the weirdoes."

"Mr. Simone has been around for a while, and he told me that he tracks the grades of all the students at Kadic. After observing my academic progress, he told me that I was unusually gifted."

The rest of the teenagers walking beside him all released a collective sigh of relief; their greatest fear was not going to manifest itself.

Odd spoke up. "Is that all? For a minute there I thought he was questioning you about the factory or something as severe as that. It sounds like the purpose of the whole meeting was just to give you a giant pat on the back."

"I wish that was the case…but the shrink had other plans," Jeremie mused. "Tonight, I'm supposed to go to the library and take a few tests to see what my IQ level is."

Ulrich too was a bit confused by Jeremie's gloomy expression.

"What's the big deal? It's not like you haven't taken any tests before."

"Except that there's a lot more riding on this exam than just a good grade. If the test show that I have a really high IQ, the guy is going to see to it that I get sent to a different school."

Odd stood still, mouth gaping along side with his friends. The feel of the conversation shifted drastically from slight air of curiosity to dread.

"You mean you'll get transferred to a school for future Einsteins?" he gasped.

The grave costs of Jeremie proving his vast intellect were beginning to settle in and Yumi took note of them.

"This is bad. If we lose you, how can we get to Lyoko?"

Jeremie's feet stopped moving.

"It's not only that, guys…you're my friends. If I leave, I may never see you guys again."

The group stood motionless after hearing Jeremie admit his feelings. To hear the boy who would do anything in order to stomp out XANA for good, and rescue Aelita, say that he valued his friendships he had more was indeed touching. Already, the others were thinking of goodbye speeches they would recite before they would part ways, when Odd made a last ditch attempt to save the conversation from doom and gloom.

"Hold on a sec. Even if you do well on this test, it's not like the school can force you to leave."

Jeremie kept walking as if the activity made the next bit of bad news he was about to reveal more bearable.

"I wish things were as simple as that," he lamented. "The psychologist creep called my parents while I was in the principal's office. He told them at the other school I would be entitled for a scholarship. They're not going to let an opportunity like that slip by."

The possibility of losing Jeremie was a lot to take in at once. Throughout their battles with XANA they had gotten closer then they were before this war began. Each trip to Lyoko and every attack had strengthened their bond of friendship to the point that it could break the hardest diamond. It was a bond that they were not going to relinquish so easily.

The steps leading up to the building where their next classes were held were only inches away. They went their different ways without saying another word, as they were not comfortable with the concept of farewells.

* * *

Dirk turned the page of the latest book he was reading after Mrs. Winterson's suggestion. Part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, the novel proved to be quite an enticing read that was worthy of his time. The peaceful scenery the library provided was something that could not be replicated anywhere else on campus, and it was where he would usually spend his lunch periods, spending as little time in the cafeteria as he could.

The sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor could be heard. Not wanting to lose his place in the book, Dirk reached into the breast pocket of his dress shirt and stuffed a stiff piece of paper between the pages.

"That's quite the interesting bookmark you have there," came an elderly female voice that belonged to the woman in charge of the library's activities. It had been another slow day at her end of the building and decided to pass the time away by talking to the Korean.

"What can I say, Mrs. Winterson? I think it suits me quiet well. Glad to see that your eyes haven't faded with age."

"Oh there you go, flattering me again. You're quite the gentlemen. Now, care to tell me why you use a playing card to mark your progress. It's not everyday I see a student use one for that purpose. Surely there's some significance behind it."

Dirk plucked the card out of his book with his middle and index finger (he mentally knew his spot in the story). Holding the object in place as if he were a world-class magician or gambler he allowed the librarian to get a better look at it.

"Not too much significance really. It just so happens that the Ace of Spades is my favorite playing card out of the entire deck."

"Is that all?"

"Don't tell me you came all this way to chat about the personal significance of my bookmark."

"Humor an old lady."

"And here I thought you didn't like being called old."

"Maybe…but today I'll make an exception."

Dirk held the card in the air looking at it from all sides. Remembering the exact reason why he carried it around.

"Let's just say that it reminds me of where I need to go in life."

Mrs. Winterson settled with the cryptic message and resumed her duties happy that she had had this little chat. Unraveling the unique back-story of this enigma was worthy of any detective story she had ever read.

* * *

"...and that's what my situation is," Jeremie said with his head bowed low and arms slumped.

Aelita listened intently through her computer screen as the boy poured his heart out from the sorrow this news had given him.

"Have you told the others about this?"

"Of course I have. All of you deserve to know what happened."

Jeremie's demeanor made a gradual shift to the other side of the spectrum. The thought of being separated from his life at Kadic was too much. He couldn't keep his thoughts straight any longer.

"It's just not fair," his meek voice articulated.

Though Jeremie's words might have hinted weakness, his body had a different opinion. The pent-up frustration showed signs of escaping as Jeremie tightly clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. This was something Aelita had an interest in immediately.

"Jeremie, as much as it would dishearten me to change the topic, I think it would not be a wise idea to stay here all day to lament on your predicament."

The boy was too shocked to feel sorry for himself now.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Though you have yet to explicitly say, I can already tell that one of the things you will miss the most if you ever leave is talking to me and your responsibilities with fighting XANA."

"But why wouldn't I be?! It's…"

Showing a level of assertiveness not commonly associated with her, Aelita quickly cut Jeremie off.

"That's exactly it. You're thinking about what you're going to lose rather than a possible solution. Being here is only making matters worse for you. A clear mind is needed for you to make the right choice. Staying inside is not going to accomplish this."

She was right; his obligations only reaffirmed his resolve to try to stay within the walls of Kadic Junior High as long as he could. Yet was this the only reason why he was so angry? Another voice played in his mind, echoing a different message. This he pushed back, but that only caused the energy inside him to build. His fingers trembled. His foot began tapping furiously at the floor. Something was beckoning to him, saying he shouldn't sit still any longer.

"I'm going to get some fresh air," Jeremie said as he rose to his feet to look for a suitable emotional release.

* * *

It started with a rat scrounging for food, but finding instead a dark ghostly figure. The rat was quickly taken over, and his companions fell under control soon after. Chaos, bedlam and panic arose as mass vermin battles took place all through the sewer recounting gladiator battles of old.

It was going all too perfectly. Not even on Lyoko was he able to amass such an army so easily. Just a little bit longer and the preparations would be complete. Humans mocked the tiny creatures now but when they see such a gathering they can only cower in fear.

Besides, the animal that was responsible for the deaths of half the population of Europe was more than capable to destroy the likes of five teenagers in a boarding school. More than capable.

* * *

Yumi left the detention room a defeated woman. Kap Hwan's trickery left a bitter taste in her mouth that wouldn't be forgotten anytime soon. Exiting through the doors that had helped confine her for an hour, she saw her brother sitting on the floor next to the door patiently waiting for her arrival.

"Hey sis," he greeted her with a tired smile.

It was so typical of Jin. She explicitly told him that he didn't need to stay and he ignored the advice and sat outside. It was a fact of life she had accepted ever since he came back into her life after his two year stay in the United States. He would always be by her side, vowing to keep her safe, like a guardian angel watching from the heavens.

It never really dawned on Yumi that the relationship she had with her brother was different from the other siblings at school. They never really argued with each other; never strove to obtain their parent's attention. Battling alongside each other on and off Lyoko had strengthened their bond to something beyond their family lineage. It was as if they were almost becoming one and the same with all the time they spent together…able to feel each other's thoughts, and experience them as if it had come from their own consciousness.

"Even though I said you didn't need to wait for me, thanks for being here Aniki," she said.

The boy lifted himself off the floor, taking some time to brush off his clothes.

"So how was detention?"

"Take your most boring lecture in class, add in a bunch of delinquent students with chips on their shoulders and subtract the ability to whisper snide remarks to your neighbors. After that you get the picture on how dreadful my experience was… not to mention I have three more weeks of this stuff."

"And we can all blame Kap Hwan for this."

Yumi only needed to vent for a little bit before her normal sunny deposition surfaced, but it faded when she remembered the news she heard today.

"I'm worried about Jeremie."

"I haven't seen him since we split up to go to class."

Yumi began walking toward the gates of Kadic, looking at her brother through the corner of her eye.

"On normal occasions this wouldn't bother me, but I can't shake the feeling that he's feeling rather awful about this whole thing."

Jin closed his eyes and reflected on what his younger friend had said. The features on his face changed as his concentration grew deeper and deeper.

"I'll get the others and see if he's in his room."

"And I'll check the factory."

The twins parted ways, content with their plan, wishing that all their problems were solved this easily.

* * *

Jeremie thrust his elbow in the air and torqued his body so that it jerked in the same direction. His little forest stroll had been doing little to calm his nerves. Sure, he was getting fresh air, and he had gotten his heart rate to go up a few extra beats per minute, but it did little to calm his frazzled nerves. With no other alternative to turn to, he did the only thing he could do.

He began to train.

Practicing the simple yet effective strikes that he learned under Yumi's guidance, Jeremie moved from technique to technique as effectively as someone at his skill level could. The fact that he clung onto this knowledge was an achievement in itself, given the amount of time he spent in his dorm. Arms, fists and elbows cut through they sky defeating imaginary opponents in their wake. Jeremie had no intention on abandoning his interest in martial arts. It made him feel like an equal with his friends and gave him a sense of confidence that he lacked before. He could now defend himself, no longer being the "dead weight" (in his perspective); the one that had to be saved. He remembered his victories over the likes of Bruno and Clayton and the adrenaline rush that resulted soon afterward. It was quite frightening that he possessed this power.

Thinking of his previous fights allowed his thoughts to come back to his friends and duties at Kadic. It was more than obvious what choice he would make, he was to stay with those closest to him and fight XANA until he could materialize Aelita. That was it, plain as day. No further discussion was needed.

Yet, he was still unsure of this. A small, tiny, almost insignificant voice was shouting out loud. Its reasons were murky, but its message was as clear as melted snow. Jeremie cursed himself for thinking such thoughts and returned to his training as if he was combating the voice at a physical level.

"You might want to put more of your weight into that shoulder thrust," a female voice echoed.

Jeremie stopped his movements, panting from his heightened activity, and faced the speaker.

"Care to show me a demonstration then, Yumi?"

Yumi stepped into the clearing, performing the very same move that Jeremie had attempted. Her body was synchronized with her step, giving the strike a level of gracefulness and ferocity that only a few people could recreate.

"Glad to see you still practicing. Ulrich and I were worried that you hated this stuff." She said as her posture returned to normal.

"Well I'm glad I was able to put your fears to rest," Jeremie said, "I'm just letting off some steam."

Yumi's intuition was correct, though she was a bit surprised to see Jeremie in the forest as opposed to the factory hacking at a keyboard.

"So, did you think of a good solution while you were practicing being the next Karate Kid?"

A stifled chuckle came from the girl as she couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of herself acting like Mr. Miyagi circling her arms in the air.

"I thought of one a long time ago," he said. "It's just that there's something else that has been troubling me."

She couldn't pinpoint when, but somehow, Yumi had become a sort of older sister to her younger friend during their conflict against XANA. She wanted the best for him, and would always watch from a distance him grow and mature during these awkward stages of adolescence providing guidance when needed.

Now was one of those times.

"Take it from personal experience…it is best if you talk it out with someone else, as opposed to just holding it in. If you don't, you'll just drive yourself crazy with guilt."

Images of her sitting on a park bench with Ulrich under the moonlight flashed in her mind providing her with a sense of comfort back when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

Jeremie could be seen fiddling with his glasses soon after.

"For some reason Yumi, I can't shake the feeling that maybe leaving Kadic would be a good thing, and…I'm ashamed for thinking this way. I don't understand where these feelings are coming from; they're totally illogical and irrational!"

The blonde haired boy looked up expecting to see Yumi wearing an expression of contempt but was shocked to see the girl shake her head in disagreement.

"You're not being irrational thinking that way Jeremie. You're just being human."

His eyes lit up in wonder. He listened intently, hanging on to every word.

"Your desire to have a normal life is what these 'illogical' thoughts are deriving from. Going to a new school where you only have to focus on your studies achieves that. You're not a bad person thinking this way; the thought has crossed all our minds."

"Wait, you've thought about abandoning the team before?!" This was news to him. He always thought that Yumi and the others were all willing volunteers to his cause.

She bit her lip. In the back of her mind, she was breaking her promise to Ulrich about not telling anyone of their little midnight meeting. However, she knew that the soccer player would understand if it was done in the name of helping their friend out.

"When Aniki was blinded, I blamed myself for all the grief I caused. I thought that maybe quitting the team and having all traces of our encounters with XANA erased from my memory would solve everything…but Ulrich helped me through my turmoil, and I realized how foolish I was."

"What do you mean by that?"

"My mom had a saying when I was a child. She would always tell me that to know what was right, yet do not was the worst cowardice. We shouldn't be ashamed that the intention of running away from all of this has crossed our minds. If we don't give into temptation, but do what we are obliged to do in our hearts, we can only grow stronger."

"Still…" Jeremie still felt torn. "I know I'm making the right decision by choosing to stay at Kadic, and yet I still feel a bit… disappointed with my choice."

"Take a step back, Jeremie. Why were you enrolled in Kadic in the first place? It was to please your parents and prepare for your future. You're just trying to be a good son and honor their sacrifices."

Jeremie reflected on the slice of wisdom that Yumi had shared and began to feel better about himself.

"I understand now. Just thinking about quitting is not bad in itself. It's when we act on these intentions that we've truly given up."

Yumi smiled, happy that she was able to guide her friend through his emotional storm. Now that things were normal, maybe they could tackle the issue of this test with a much clearer head than before.

"C'mon. Jeremie, that's enough melodrama for one day. It's time we found the others and see if there's anything we can do to help out."

"Agreed."

The two teens left the forest and made their way back onto campus with their spirits renewed and ready for anything.

It didn't take long to locate the remaining three boys, as they were idly chatting away near the cafeteria, which had yet to open for dinner. The sun was setting over Kadic, and now the students were looking for a way to past the time.

"Hey, Einstein!" Odd greeted with a wave. "We were about to head to the factory to see if you were there. Looks like we can thank Yumi for saving us the walk."

Odd turned to the girl in question standing next to the boy. This was the first time he and his roommate had seen her since she got out of detention, and for all they knew, Yumi would be in a rather steamed mood right now. They had to tread carefully when talking to her.

"Wow, I bet that was fun! Just think, Yumi, if XANA attacks, you'll get to have that detention _all over again!_"

Then again, Odd was the person who would willingly chose to throw caution to the wind. It was a good thing that Yumi had gotten over her ill feelings, or else she would have opted to practice her arm locks on Odd, as opposed to a certain Korean that was responsible for her misery. Instead, he would have to settle for a rather forceful whap on the head, compliments of his best friend.

"Ow!" Odd yelped, which instantly caused him to be quiet.

Ulrich was a bit more serious that he normally was, as he wanted to do everything in his power to make sure that Jeremie did not change schools as the powers-that-be intended to happen.

"Jeremie," he started, "I have a quick comment. Why can't you just fail the test so that the school can't prove that you're a genius? I'm sure your other school would not allow a transfer that only possessed an average IQ."

"So far Ulrich, that was the only solution I could think of as well, but there's a catch. This isn't your normal exam that you would see in class. There are so many trick questions and misleading answers that it's pretty difficult to get an inaccurate result. You have to be very clever to outsmart this thing."

Ulrich tapped his index finger against his temple.

"Well in that case we're going to need someone who's a genius at failing tests. Odd, do you care to help us out?"

Insults sweetened with a dash of truth were always the most potent verbal concoctions. Odd would have to congratulate his friend on a job well done sometime in the near future.

"I don't see how failing an exam would be so hard," he stated. "Just write Bruce Willis for every answer and you'll flunk for sure."

With a remark like that, Jin had to say something in response.

"Bruce Willis? I think it would be better for him to write Chuck Norris instead, but that's just me," Jin chuckled. "Did you know that Chuck Norris doesn't churn butter? He roundhouse kicks —"

"Guys, we want Jeremie to score low, not get himself sent to a mental institution," Ulrich interrupted, having a feeling where the conversation was going (and not wanting it to go there).

The boys tuned to Yumi to see if she had anything to say at the moment. She placed a reassuring hand on Jeremie's shoulder and spoke.

"Well I have faith in our little deceptive genius here," she stated. "We all know he's the cleverest student around."

Jeremie was the next to speak.

"Fine, it's worth a shot. I'll do my best to flunk."

Laughter was heard when it was all said and done. The statement sounded so out of character for Jeremie that it was ludicrous. The friends huddled together with a mixture of giggles, flailing limbs and splitting sides, sharing the moment together.

* * *

The three friends that resided at Kadic looked at the giant oak doors of the library for the second time today. Nightfall had taken rule of the sky along with the moon's company, placing the world beneath the sky under the watchful eyes of the stars.

"Well, Einstein," Odd said, "this is it, your big test. Now go grab that one-legged A."

"Thanks for the encouragement Odd, but I'm still not sure if I can do this," Jeremie said.

Ulrich was a bit more reasonable with his advice than his purple clad companion.

"C'mon Jer, you're not going to get anything done with an attitude like that," Ulrich stated. "Remember what's riding on this. We'll be separated and you'll never see Aelita again. Not to mention XANA still might attack you just for kicks."

"Nice job, buddy," Odd quipped. "As if he didn't have enough pressure to deal with."

Jeremie raised his hand to stop the banter between the two roommates, and also so he could say his piece.

"It's okay, Odd. Ulrich was just giving me a much needed reality check." He sighed. "Okay guys, it's now or never."

With one last nod of confidence, Jeremie walked forward and disappeared in the giant doorway but not before hearing one last joke from his friend.

"Remember man, if you're unsure of the answer just write Bruce Willis!"

"Odd!" Ulrich growled.

"Or Chuck Norris…geez you're quite the grouch."

The boy kept on walking deeper into the building letting the doors close behind him. With that said and done, Odd retrieved the plastic cell phone that he stored in his pocket, paying special attention to the time it was now displaying.

"Well the cafeteria is open; wanna grab a bite to eat?"

He saw an indifferent expression on his friend's face as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, why not?"

They set of toward the cafeteria, paying little attention to the sights and sounds of the school.

"So Odd, I noticed you weren't too excited when you talked about eating dinner tonight," Ulrich noted.

"That's because they're planning to serve us some sort of particularly un-yummy hash. I may like food but I'm no garbage disposal."

"For some reason, I think there would be a few people out there that would disagree."

"Very funny," Odd mock-chuckled. "You know, Ulrich, your insults have been improving. I guess all those encounters with Sissi really sharpened your skills."

Ulrich gave a small smile after hearing such praise. He never really made a conscious effort to heighten the potency of his words, but if it made Odd happy then he wouldn't spoil the moment.

"Well it's like what they believe in Eastern cultures: The best way to honor one's master is to surpass him."

The sound of running footsteps was heard soon after, followed by a voice that called their names out.

"Ulrich! Odd!" the female yelled, beckoning their attention.

The two friends struggled to pinpoint a face to the speech as they stopped their little stroll. It didn't have that high and mighty tone that Sissi carried, nor could it belong to Yumi, as she hadn't said she was coming back to the school.

They saw a roughly human-sized blur rushing at them. The blur took a more humanoid shape and skidded to a halt on the back of its heels, revealing to the boys that it was just an average teenage girl.

The sudden stop caused her wavy brown hair to sway slightly as she turned around to face the pair that she had nearly run past.

"Hi guys!"

Odd knew exactly who he was looking at, although his memory had misfiled her name.

"Hey, I know you. You were our scorekeeper when we were playing in the library."

A faux look of hurt was seen on her face. This was the second time today that someone she knew forgot her name. Fortunately, Ulrich had heard the exchange she had had with Jin and knew exactly who he was talking to.

"Rebecca, right?"

"That's correct," Rebecca declared. "Finally I meet someone here who can remember my name."

"So Rebecca," Ulrich said, "you seemed pretty anxious to see us. Any particular reason why? It's gotta be important with how fast you were running a few minutes ago."

The young artist raised her arm up and pointed her finger to the sky, imitating a common pose perfected by college professors and other people who want to make themselves look intelligent.

"Of course, it's…"

Rebecca's jaw hung loosely in mid-sentence, and her eyes scanned the stars as if they would spell out the answer she was looking for in the night sky, but to no avail. Defeated, she hung her head.

"I forgot."

Odd sympathized with the girl. She had good intentions, but was just a bit scatter-brained. Maybe some helpful words were in order.

"Ever considered writing what you need to remember on your hands?" he asked. "I always do that whenever I have to relay a message to a friend."

"My hands?!" Rebecca exclaimed as though he had suggested she run away to Alaska. She waved the appendage in front of her as if the idea was an evil spirit. "That would take up precious doodling space."

Her hands stopped moving which allowed the drawings she already sketched onto her flesh to come into view.

"Nice catgirl," Odd commented.

"Thanks…wait a second!"

Being reminded of artwork jogged the girl's memory. She reached into her backpack and retrieved two pieces of paper from it.

"After your game, I felt compelled to draw this. I had fun keeping score for you guys."

The drawing was of the friends in mid-play squaring off against each other in the infamous game. Both were in an action pose and the picture carried quite a dynamic feel.

"Whoa!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"Well, I'm glad you like it."

"Like it?!" Odd repeated, still marveling at Rebecca's artistic abilities. "This thing is gorgeous. Then again I'm in it, so it just had to be."

"You two can have it. Consider it a gift."

"Are you sure?" Ulrich said with a touch of concern. "You spent a lot of time on this drawing."

"Nah it's ok. You guys would enjoy it more. Plus I like drawing pictures more than ogling at them. Oh and give this to your friend Yumi."

Ulrich brought the second drawing to his eye level and laughed hysterically. Drawn on the piece of paper was a chibi version of Yumi, wielding a giant wooden hammer. She was pummeling Dirk, drawn in a similar fashion, wearing a comical expression of pain.

"I felt bad after that jerk tricked Jim into giving her three weeks of detention," Rebecca said. "I just had to give her something as a token of my condolences. Let's hope this will brighten her day just a bit."

The boys were touched by the artist's kind gesture and were at a loss for words. Not wanting to look like an ingrate, Ulrich thought of the only way he could show his gratitude on such short notice.

"Hey Rebecca, Odd and I were going to eat dinner over at the cafeteria. Wanna sit with us?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Are you kidding? Of course I will. I get some of my best drawing ideas when I hang out with you guys… but you need to make room for one more."

"One more?"

"Yeah, Felicia is coming too. I just made her today and I'm showing her around the place."

"Wait, you made her? What?" Ulrich asked, dumfounded by what Rebecca said.

She gestured to the catgirl that was drawn on the back of her pale hand.

"Drew her in class. It's kind of hard to leave her behind you know; I have no intention of peeling my skin off."

"I don't blame you."

With Rebecca in their ranks they made their way to the cafeteria expecting an uneventful meal, completely oblivious to the sinister plot that was hatching underneath them.

* * *

Jeremie was back in the library, but for a different reason this time. Gone were the innocent games of youth, wallowing in bliss. He was here to work… to focus…to fail.

Now his friends were relying on him in a different way… A way that didn't involve endless strings of code… Where the only letters he needed to use were A, B, C and D. No XANA to fight, no life points to track, and no orders to shout. And yet somehow, just as stressful. Mr. Simone took a look at him, and tried his best to help as he assumed that Jeremie's anxiety stemmed from the test itself, not the possibility of him leaving.

"Hi Jeremie, you might know me," the teacher said. "I'm the school's psychologist, Mr. Simone."

"Of course I do! Is it true, that you're planning to get my transferred to a school for gifted children? That's great! My parents are going to be so glad!"

Ok, so maybe he was overacting just a bit; certainly it was no Oscar winning performance. But then again, he wasn't here to win a tiny gold statute. If there was anything useful that Jin's little red book on military strategy had dictated was on the concept of deception. When weak, show your enemy strength and when strong feign weakness, but in his case, it would be eagerness that would be exhibited tonight.

"Well that's what we're here tonight to find out. Now to start off, I'll be giving you a multiple choice test. It's in which you…"

Mr. Simone's words trailed off as he realized that such juvenile instructions were not needed for someone with such a high intellect.

"Well I won't bore you with any more of my talking. I'm sure you know exactly what this is all about."

It was planned long before that Jeremie would exhibit some major faults during the introductory process; that way, they'd think that maybe he wasn't as qualified as the teachers originally thought. Not enough to make them think he was a complete moron but just enough to make them second-guess him as a candidate.

"Me? No."

"Huh?"

The look on the psychologist's face was worth a return trip to the past to see again. If only he had brought a camera with him. Maybe next time.

* * *

Today was a special day for Sissi. Her father had finally caved in and bought her that dress she had had her eyes on. Of course, this was no easy task. It was only after she literally begged her father for it and promised him that she would improve her grades at school did he agree.

Never before had reading her science textbook been so rewarding.

Entering her room ready to gaze at the fruits of her labor she saw her precious prize laying on the floor in a tattered mess.

Actually, scratch that thought. Calling this mangled piece of fabric a "tattered mess" would be a compliment given the horrible condition it was in. What was once a beautiful designer dress that beckoned to be worn was now reduced to nothing more than a rag that belonged in the trash as opposed to on her body.

And to think, she had actually been beginning to like studying. Oh, how wrong she was.

"My brand new Gokie Dress!"

Sissi picked up the article of clothing, fearing any other damages that her initial inspection missed. A furry creature with a rather long tail emerged from under the piece of clothing sniffing the air looking for something else to chew on. With the culprit revealed, the grieving girl's sadness molded into rage.

"Oh! So you're the little savage that did this!" she yelled.

As if to mock her, the rat let out a high-pitched hiss in the affirmative. Sissi was not going to just stand there and take such abuse like this. She was a girl of style, class and beauty who garnered respect and admiration from those around her. No human or sewer rat should treat her in such a way. The creature's appetite for all that was trendy was not satisfied, so Sissi decided to give it another tasty morsel to chew on by offering it one of her shoes.

Too bad for the rat that said shoe was being hurled toward the floor at breakneck speeds.

The "morsel" bounced off the dorm's hard floor making a satisfying thud in the process scaring the rat away. Sissi placed her hands on her hips with a satisfied smile on her face.

"And that's the last I'll see of that dirty creature."

Then with a sad expression on her face, Sissi began to clean up the scraps of fabric left behind and got ready for dinner.

* * *

Aelita stared at the holographic window before her as it cycled through endless amounts of data and images just for her. Unlike the monsters that constantly roamed Lyoko looking for her, she couldn't stay amused doing the same repetitive task over and over again. She needed some sort of amusement every now and then, and she could only meditate for so long.

Looking for something to do, she used the tower's access to the information super-highway to learn more about the human world. It was weird, though. The concept of boredom – the very idea that she would grow tired of her homeland and ponder about the real world – was never introduced to her until she met Jeremie and the rest of his friends. The moments she shared with them felt all too short, while their separation from her grew more unbearable by the day.

Her holographic screen floated unattended, for now the girl's attention was focused inward, thinking of the one word that had bound her to the values of duty and friendship.

XANA

He was her enemy. He was her tormentor. He was the reason why she began to understand humans. How she longed to live in their world and be by Jeremie's side. A delicate finger brushed against the tower's platform to remind her where she was. There was no room for daydreams when you had responsibilities of your own.

A tiny quake rumbled throughout Lyoko, pulsating waves of dark energy that ran through Aelita's finger and into the pit of her stomach. Great evil was active once again.

Aelita dashed to her monitor and hastily established a connection to Earth in hopes of alerting Jeremie of what was going on. Not wasting a single second she began to utter her message of distress.

"Jeremie!" she shouted. "XANA has just activated a tower!"

Expecting to she Jeremie's concerned face on the other end, Aelita was shocked to see that the chair her friend usually sat in was empty.

"Jeremie?"

This was bad. With Jeremie out, not knowing that XANA had just launched an attack, he would be completely unaware of the dangers that were to come his way. All she could do now was hope that he would be safe.

* * *

Things were finally ready. The time for patience and biding time was over. Its moment to execute the horrific deed was at hand. It would be chaotic. It would be frightening. But most of all, it would be amusing. Soon, the entire city would be plunged into darkness as thousands of electric generators and power boxes would be rendered completely useless.

Still though, despite the inherent perfection such a grand scheme had, caution was still exercised. Many a time such strategies that were deemed "perfect" would fall short of glory due to certain "variables" that have continued to deny their inferiority. Having a mass swarm of rodents storm the city would instill the greatest bedlam the city had ever known and he didn't want that to happen...yet. The first target would be the school's power supply. No one would notice a small group of rats in such a sprawling metropolis. They moved on command, efficient and uncaring for themselves, only to the cause and the beckon call of their master… the perfect soldier.

The time to act was now.

* * *

A flurry of activity was seen coming from Odd as he greedily devoured his second helping of cafeteria food that night. The scraping sound of metal meeting plastic was a common occurrence for him as he made it his sole mission to devour every edible molecule on his tray. His rapid rhythm was only interrupted by the act of him taking a quick mouthful of water before he wielded his fork once again to do battle.

Rebecca looked on, not knowing whether to marvel at the boy's ability to eat, or to be disgusted with the display of gluttony. She settled on having a reaction somewhere in between.

"Odd, how can you eat like that?" She asked him with a mixture of fascination and disbelief.

"Well, I just put the food in my mouth, chew and swallow."

Ulrich smirked. She asked. "What I don't understand is why,"

Ulrich chimed in. "You didn't sound too excited about what was on the menu, yet you're eating as if you were having the last meal of your life."

"It's simple really," he answered. "The food doesn't taste too great, but it's free and there's lots of it."

Ulrich smiled. His roommate could be so predictable at times. It was one of his many unique charms.

"So Rebecca," Odd spoke with a mouth full of food. "How exactly did you get involved in our little game this morning?"

It was a good question to ask. She certainly wasn't a friend, and even calling her an acquaintance would be stretching it a bit.

Rebecca stared at the back of her hand, as if she was looking to her drawing to provide her with some sound advice. After gazing at the confused looks the boys sent her way, she spoke.

"It wasn't really my choice," she answered, "I was minding my own business when Jin shoved me into the ordeal."

The looks on the roommates' faces changed as if it were to say, "Figures."

This silent exchange of ideas now put Rebecca in a state of confusion.

"Was there something I missed?"

"Leave it to Jin to flag down a complete stranger," Ulrich clarified.

"Well, I wouldn't use the word stranger. We are classmates," she responded kindly in the Japanese student's defense.

Odd plunged his fork into his lunch tray, puncturing the next edible piece he would soon take into his body.

"Well, the only thing that matters is that you had a fun time. Until…"

"Until Jim came and started yelling at you guys," Rebecca said, completing the sentence Odd had started.

Though he could be a bit insensitive at times, Odd was able to see the slightly sad tone that the girl used. The change was small, but was still noticeable.

"Ah don't sweat it. Jim always yells at us. We've gotten quiet used to it by now."

Ulrich remained silent during the discussion, choosing not to open his mouth and ruin such a wondrous moment. Still holding onto Rebecca's second drawing, he raised the piece of paper up to the cafeteria's florescent lights to get a better look at it. The picture hadn't changed at all between the twenty paces he took from the spot he met the young artist to the table he was now eating at, but now he was able to see it more clearly. His eyes were transfixed on the tiny representation of his older friend, carefully studying its features and marveling at every single one of them. Her raven locks and soft eyes were captured faithfully, even if they were drawn a bit on the cartoonish side. They were wild with rage but still contained an air of beauty that always left him at a loss of words when they were alone.

She was cute—both in the picture and in real life.

His cheeks flashed a faint shade of red once he began to think of the girl in such an intimate way, and he averted his eyes away from the drawing to not draw too much attention to himself.

That was when the cafeteria, and the rest of the city, went completely dark.

* * *

Mr. Simone set the Rubik's Cube he was toying with on the table. He brought it as a way to pass the time, but started having doubts about the idea once he saw Jeremie take a couple of glances at it. The thing was a distraction and could possibly interfere with his ability to obtain the highest score he could. Of course, these doubts came before the blackout occurred. When the student can't even read the test in front of him, the clicking of a three-dimensional brain puzzle was quite insignificant.

"Sir, maybe we should postpone the test for now," Jeremie stated. "It is quite dark."

The older gentleman shook his head side to side as he reached into his dark green backpack, which oddly enough matched the sweater he was currently wearing.

"That would be silly," he answered. "Don't worry, I came prepared."

Jeremie's gaze shifted to the flashlight in the psychologist's hand. His eyes opened wide from shock, but this was misinterpreted by the man as being a look of relief.

* * *

Sissi was annoyed. No power in her room meant there were no lights to see her reflection in the mirror. No electricity to run her precious stereo so that she could listen to her favorite CD, and on top of that, no brand new dress to show off.

In vain, she feverishly flipped the plastic light switch that clung to her wall, as if the heightened activity would spawn a miracle and bring her out of the blackout, but only get a few empty clicks.

"What kind of cheap school is this?!" she yelled.

The yelling ceased seconds later as the angry girl felt a bit guilty insulting her father's pride and joy. It was amazing how an entire evening could be ruined in ten short minutes, a fact that she kept to herself as not to shame him anymore.

There was one act of beautification that she could still do, with or without electricity. Grabbing a nearby hairbrush, she began to comb through her long locks gently, undoing their tangles and giving them a healthy shine. Light was not needed for her to marvel at her own beauty…which, really, was just her own interpretation of the gazes of awe the boys at school gave her. Such an empowering memory would be relived, as she was prepared to go to the cafeteria for yet another meal. Her thoughts lingered back to the dress she lost to the likes of a single, filthy rodent. Sissi had not yet mustered enough resolution to throw it away, instead opting to leave it on the floor out in the open like a casket on display during a wake.

Of course, the pain of losing a dress paled in comparison to losing a loved one. She wasn't that superficial. Sissi didn't like the analogy she came up with, yet it was fitting for her current mood. It complimented her dark, gloomy surroundings a bit.

The tiny chattering of teeth and small squeaks served as a tiny crack in the girl's moral resolution, causing her to put down her hairbrush and turn around.

The moon's reflection flashed across the eyes of hundreds of beady black eyes and gleamed across several sets of snarling teeth.

There were not enough shoes in her room to even try fending them off, so she ran.

* * *

Jim always knew teenagers were a rowdy bunch. Being a PE teacher and part time hall monitor had let him see the full capabilities of their troublesome behavior. However, it was his personal belief that their tendency to defy authority was never done out of malice but was more attributed to their adventurous spirit while coping with an unfamiliar place away from their families.

"Will you all just be quiet?!"

Of course, that didn't stop him from raising his voice to loud levels in order to get them under control.

It was amazing how a blackout can cause humans to behave almost like animals. No really, this wasn't just some sort of philosophical metaphor the physical education instructor conjured just for the sake of mental imagery; these kids were behaving like animals. Heck, one of the students was mooing like a cow while standing on a table.

This was going to be one stressful blackout, indeed.

* * *

Ulrich couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for his PE teacher. Being the one who enforced the school rules around the campus really didn't make him a very popular person among Ulrich's generation. In Jim's defense, Ulrich really didn't care for all the commotion that the cafeteria was housing, and he didn't really see any appeal in the activity. Odd, as always, took advantage of the moment, banging his fist against the table as to drum up even more noise. Others joined in on the impromptu percussion jam, filling the cafeteria with the sounds of plastic thumps and rattling silverware. Though the beat was unfocused and lacked direction, the product being churned out sounded strangely squeaky as if someone had brought a rubber duck into the chorus as well. Then again, that possibility didn't hold any weight to it. This noise sounded quiet, and, for lack of a better term, "organic." If only he could just hear it by itself without the excess clutter of noise pollution crowding his ears.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

A voice cut through the chaos, much younger than Jim's but no less forceful. Unlike the first time the command was issued, this time it was faithfully observed by all those within ear-shot. Those students brave enough to look at the source of the yelling found an irate Dirk Kap Hwan standing upright. His hand was massaging one of his temples as if he was fending off a headache. Looks like he wasn't a big fan of all the commotion either.

_If looks could kill..._Ulrich thought.

Silence hung in the air and the squeaky sound returned to him, but now others were beginning to take notice. The students' collective gazes were focused on the roof, where the sound seemed to come from. Even Jim was racked with curiosity; cautiously he positioned himself underneath one of the panels to take a look inside.

Jim's frightful scream was the only warning sign that Ulrich had before the fleeting moment of peace was destroyed. Plaster tiles began to rain from the sky as hundreds and hundreds of sewer rats descended upon the students of Kadic Junior High in a sea of black fur and angry eyes. The children's survival instincts took over as they made their way to the exit, hoping to escape from this nightmare. Ulrich was relieved to see that Odd and Rebecca had managed to join him in front of the crowd of panicking students who were just as eager to leave as they were. Already Odd was reaching for the door handle, but was startled as his arm was seized by someone else's.

"Wait, Odd!" Rebecca yelled out, still maintaining her grip on his wrist.

"What on Earth are you…?" Odd's question was cut short as he saw a much larger, fiercer group of rats outside the cafeteria, lying in wait. If he were to just bolt out the door as he had intended to do, he would have ended up as that hungry swarm's next meal.

Ulrich banged his fist into the doorframe. It neither helped their situation nor relieved his stress.

"We're trapped!"

"Good going, XANA," Odd grumbled, "having the rats wait 'til nightfall when we were all in the cafeteria. Talk about a keen sense of timing."

Normally this would be when Ulrich would tell Odd that now wasn't exactly the best time to be praising the enemy. But he couldn't, as now he was being crushed between the room's walls and the bodies of his classmates.

"What's going on?!" Rebecca managed to ask with a clear head, which was quite a feat.

The brown haired boy chose not to answer that question, as he had more pressing matters to attend to. Pulling with all his might, he managed to free his arm, with his cell phone caught in a vice grip. He was going to need help and he was going to need it fast.

* * *

Yumi lay comfortably on her bed, idly letting her gaze wander around her room. If any good had come out of her period of detention, it was that she had been able to get all of her homework done in one sitting, which couldn't be said for her brother, who was currently in his room wrapping up the last few equations for his math assignment.

Leave it to Jim to tell her parents about the commotion at the library that she was "responsible" for causing. And leave it to her parents to give her a rather firm lecture about respecting society's rules. Her gloominess returned full force and, with nothing else to distract her, she was allowed to feel its full impact. She pleaded to the powers-that-be for a distraction, any sort of distraction that could get her out of this emotional rut.

Minutes later, her cell phone rang.

The digital text that flashed on the bright green screen was a sight for sore eyes. If there was anyone out there who could make her feel better, it was this person.

"Is that you, Ulrich?" Yumi asked with a smile, a bit surprised on how joyful she sounded asking that question.

The distraction's feeling changed from pleasure to fear. Hearing the words XANA and attack in the same sentence was all that she needed to know what was going on.

"What?!"

"You heard me correctly," Ulrich explained. "XANA is using a bunch of rats to surround the cafeteria, while countless more are inside ready to chew holes through us. We need you and your brother to get over here to help us out!"

Hearing the dangers that her friends were in, Yumi made sure to inquire about the safety of another person who had yet to be mentioned.

"What about Jeremie?"

"I was about to call him next, but it's going to be tough with all that's going on."

"Please tell me you have some sort of defense to keep the rats at bay."

Ulrich shook his head from his end of the call, a useless gesture but still something that he needed to do in order to prove his point.

"Not at the moment."

* * *

THWACK!

The sound of plastic meeting fur-covered flesh was dull, but grew even more frequent in the infested cafeteria.

_Who knew Rosa had such a violent edge?_ Odd thought. _Better keep my comments about the food she serves to myself._

Odd watched the large lady armed with a lunch tray bat any rat that was foolish enough to leap at her. The others could only watch in fear as the woman in charge of distributing their lunches was now fiercely battling against the swarm of creatures. Included in this group of people was Jim, who was also paralyzed by fear. Ulrich had already taken the initiative and was calling for reinforcements. Though that ensured that someone would be coming to their aid, it did little to help out their current situation.

"Odd, what are we going to do?"

Rebecca! He had almost forgotten about her. She was still here and still just as scared as he was.

"I'd love to answer that question, but I'm having a hard time concentrating while squashed against the door like this."

He was feeling the effects of fear, too, but he was not going to let a girl see that side of him. But his iron clad resolve was slowly thinning as the space between the humans and the rodents decreased with each passing second.

* * *

"Take that!"

Rosa slammed her tray into the body of another sewer rat with another mighty blow. She never expected to be fighting for this long and alone. For such a big guy, Jim was quite the timid one when it came to these tiny beings.

When she had first accepted the role of overseeing the school's lunch program, she vowed to make sure that she would watch out for the students' well being, primarily by making sure they were well fed and healthy.

Now, standing in a darkened cafeteria, fighting for her life, she valued that vow more than ever before. As long as she had a breath in her body, she would continue to fight the good fight.

Another swing, another attacker taken out. Nothing was going to stop her—not the rats, not her age and not her fear. Still, her tray was feeling a bit heavier than before. When this was all over, she would demand a humongous pay raise from Principal Delmas.

* * *

Seeing Odd so calm drove Rebecca to emulate his demeanor. Screaming her head off like the others would not help their situation one iota, so she diverted all her excess energy to help try to think of a good escape plan.

"Do you have any bright ideas?"

"Well, Ulrich just called Yumi and Jin and told them what's going on," Odd said.

"Wait, Yumi and Jin?" Rebecca repeated astonished. She had expected him to call either the police or the fire department, not two of her classmates. "Shouldn't he be calling the cops or something?"

"Don't worry, my artistic friend," Odd managed to say with a smile. "With this problem, those two are our best bet."

"Well, that takes care of the outside, now what about us?" she asked. "We need to tighten our rear guard, and think of a way to push the rats outside in order to for us to get out of this alive."

Rebecca looked up at their only line of defense, which was an irate lunch lady, and her eyes widened with horror. Each swing was getting progressively slower, while the woman's form began to show signs of fatigue. She was too old for something as strenuous as this, and her body was breaking down.

The artist's ill omen proved to be correct. The students' champion swung her arms in a wide arc before staggering backwards and falling into the crowd of frightened children from fatigue.

"ROSA!" Rebecca screamed.

As if they had been waiting for this moment, the rats slowed their assault and leisurely began to converge on the tired woman, as if to pay her back for all the pain she caused them. The one acting as the leader released a hideous snarl that was echoed by his cohorts and leapt high in the air as if to gnaw her face off.

But that moment never came.

CRACK!

The rodent was sent skyrocketing back by the grand slam swing that could have rivaled the likes of major league baseball players. The teenagers stared wide eyed at the back of their new savior, who was wielding the same lunch tray that Rosa had dropped as to carry on her work. He was fully rested, he was ready for anything, and he was angry.

Very…very…angry.

"Come get some!"

Another rat came his way, but he batted it away with ease.

"Hail to the king, baby!"

It was a quote from a famous American B-movie that he had always wanted to use, and if he was going to die here and now, he'd best leave this world with no regrets.

Rosa could not believe her eyes when she saw her "successor" flailing around with her tray like a crazed madman.

"Clayton?!"

The boy took a quick break to look at her, stopping only to adjust his hood so that it covered his head.

"Anyone who can brawl like that has got my respect. Now rest up, you need your strength."

Rebecca was speechless as she saw this from her vantage point. By now the rats had identified the short-tempered teen as a serious danger and had eased up on their attack just a tad bit. It was time they made their escape, as Clayton, though full of rage currently, could not keep up this demanding pace all night.

"Odd, I have an idea!"

"I'm all ears."

"Maybe we all should grab lunch trays too. They do appear to be the best anti-rodent weapon we have at our disposal."

"Good thinking! There's a cart full of them nearby, right next to the fire extinguishers…Fire extinguishers!"

There was another element he overlooked. Surely those things would prove to be useful in getting out. Rebecca also saw what he was planning.

"With those things we can punch a hole through the crowd outside and make a break to somewhere that's safe."

"Hey! You two!" Ulrich called out, who still had Yumi on his cellphone. "Have you thought of a way to take care of our little rat problem?"

"Yeah," Odd answered back kindly. "We need to get a hold of that cart and those fire extinguishers over there."

"Great plan, except you're going to have to get through those guys in order to get to them."

That killed whatever hopes they had had for that plan. Even with Jim near the target location, he was too petrified to be of any use now. Their only hope of getting to the improvised weapons was to brave the angry swarm themselves.

Odd heard Ulrich's concern and smiled. It was a special smile reserved for acts of daring and for mischievous pranks. And seeing how Sissi was nowhere to be found, the former would be the case.

"Well, I just better make sure that they don't get to me then."

Ulrich smiled too, and then drew his focus back to his cell phone to report the good news.

"What a reckless plan! Only a complete fool could think of something so nearsighted. Tell me something Odd; do you practice being an idiot, or are you naturally that stupid?"

The two best friends were caught off guard by the sound of another voice foreign to their inner circle but well known from other experiences.

"You always gotta make an entrance, doncha, Kap Hwan?" the purple clad boy said in retaliation.

It was obvious why Dirk was able to remain unnoticed for so long—his dark clothing and ability to remain calm rendered him nearly invisible amongst the throng of frightful students. Only when he wanted his presence to be known did he actually go out of his way to draw attention to himself.

"Normally, I'd reward a remark like that with either a snide retort or a good smack upside the head. But today, I'm going to let it slide."

Odd wasn't going to let Dirk get the last word on this conversation, and fired another sarcastic response.

"Oh, how noble of you."

Ulrich's gaze narrowed. Seeing Dirk so collected could mean only one thing: he was planning something.

"What do you want, Kap Hwan?"

Even in the darkened room, Ulrich could see the Korean's piercing gaze shift to the back of the crowd to look at his favorite bodyguard engaged in a melee brawl with the rodent mob.

"Let's just say that my own friend's… "act of idiocy"… has prompted me to correct our situation before he gets hurt."

What just transpired was the forming of the unofficial alliance between the Troublesome Duo and the "Weirdo Bunch"… A pact that had been signed before, back in the days when XANA controlled their school bus, and Finson's alien. Looking at his unlikely ally, Ulrich felt like he could put his other friend's fears to rest.

"Don't worry, Yumi, we got something."

A small beep was heard as the call was ended. Odd and Dirk gave each other a reassuring nod and prepared to jump into danger, but two slender arms held them back.

"Wait!"

It was Rebecca, still a bit fearful with what was going on.

"Before you guys go…"

She turned to Kap Hwan and moved her lips as to speak her piece about him, but quickly stopped as there was a more effective way to get her point across.

She slapped him…_hard_.

"That was for Yumi!" Rebecca spoke in a more informative than spiteful tone.

Dirk's head jolted slightly after the blow, only to regain its composure to give the girl one of the most frightful death glares she had seen in her short life. Odd and Ulrich were ready to intervene, just in case things got really rowdy. However, they were shocked to see the look on his face melt back to its neutral expression.

"Perhaps I did deserve that."

Not wasting any time to let the pain in his cheek subside, Dirk turned on his heels and focused on his prime objective, with Odd ready to go as well.

* * *

Yumi, too, bolted out of her room like a runner at the starting line after hearing the news. Her friends were in trouble and it was all XANA's fault. If she did not intervene any time soon, there could be disastrous consequences down the road. The first thing she had to do was get help. Luckily for her, that means of assistance was only two doors away from her own.

"Aniki!"

Her brother was seated in front of his PS2, playing vigorously, while his CD player headphones were plugged into his computer as he was listening to his music.

"Talk to me," Jin said as he lowered the listening devices so that they hung around his neck. "This better be important, I was about to deliver some Keyblade brandishing justice to poor Sephiroth."

"XANA's sent a giant army of rats to the school."

Hearing that made Jin jump to his feet.

"Say what?!"

"Ulrich and Odd are trapped in the cafeteria, and we need to help them out."

"And Jeremie?"

"I don't know."

The older brother mumbled something under his breath about pulling off a Trinity Limit (whatever that was) and proceeded to grab his extra pair of headphones (the ones with no cord) from his night-stand.

"So, sis, how well are the others holding down the fort?" Jin managed to ask as he raced down the staircase at a breakneck speed.

"Ulrich said they were going to use the fire extinguishers to keep them at bay," Yumi yelled back as she followed her brother.

By now she was in their family's garage, and managed to locate her bike. She needed to get to Kadic as soon as possible, and a vehicle would help her do so.

"Fire extinguishers?" Jin repeated wide-eyed before his face changed to a mischievous grin. "Go on ahead. I got an idea."

The dire urgency of her friends' situation caused Yumi to not question her brother's reason, and she left the garage on that note. Though she did wonder why he was searching through one of the many boxes of junk inside. Curiosity would have to wait though; she had a school to save.

* * *

The sound of a cell phone ringing masked the quiet scratching noises that were emitted from the No. 2 pencil held by Jeremie. By now, thanks to the Kadic Junior High rumor mill, pretty much the entire school knew that he was taking some sot of important test with the school's psychologist. Thus, for someone to call him at this hour, the reason had to be really good.

Of course the single authority figure in the room begged to differ, and he promptly turned the device off without a care in the world.

"You can make all the calls you want after you complete the exam," he said flatly.

With no other choice left, Jeremie obeyed the teacher's instructions, not knowing that he would find out the call's nature soon enough.

* * *

After hearing Jeremie's recorded message for a third time, Ulrich abandoned all hope of calling the boy.

"Urgh! Why isn't he answering?!"

Odd knew he had to act now. His friend's frustration only proved that now Jeremie was the only one left in their group who did not know what was going on. However, before he could rescue his ignorant friend he had to get outside, a task easier said than done.

"Okay," he started, "we're going to make a break toward the lunch trays and fire extinguishers."

"Fine, I'll follow your lead."

The word 'follow' coming from Dirk's mouth was a bit of a shocker. Odd's natural instincts told him to be wary of the Korean's offer, thinking he would double cross him when he least expected it. But tonight… tonight was different.

"Go!"

On that command, two blurs rushed to the front of the crowd—one black, one purple. Knowing that the floor was laden with hidden dangers, Odd leapt into the air and onto a table for some much needed leverage. He continued this pace, jumping from table to table, not stopping to take a breath out of fear of being attacked. Somehow he managed to get to his destination unharmed, but he still had more to do. Taking the incentive, Odd seized the two fire extinguishers and carried them under his arms, but he had underestimated the amount of weight he would now be dragging. He was in over his head. How would he be able to carry these two heavy items _and_ push the tray cart all by himself?

"Are you trying to kill yourself?!" he heard Dirk shout. "If you're going to die, then do it _after_ we get out of here! As of right now, I still have a use for you, so don't you even _think_ about messing up yet!"

He had almost forgotten that Dirk had come to help as well. The Korean boy was able to deduce that the cart was an issue that had yet to be dealt with, and made sure that that fact didn't stay true for any longer. Throwing his shoulder into the wheeled device, he managed to get it to the central isle where it was perfectly aimed at his best friend's back. Another shoulder was thrown, this time sending the cart rolling toward the crowd as the Korean intended to do. The loud rickety noise the wheels made alerted the rats of the danger that was fast approaching and they scurried away, creating a large break in their formation, which Dirk used to return to the door.

* * *

The only thing that was left to do was to get Jim to the cafeteria's exits, as well as the two extinguishers Odd was holding.

"Jim!" He yelled, but failed to get any sort of response.

Time was running out for the pair. Any moment now, the rats' attention would be drawn to them. Kap Hwan's distraction could only buy them so much time. Reasoning that conventional means of getting the large man's attention were now useless, Odd resorted to the one sure-fire way to get the teacher to look his way: causing trouble. Odd lifted his foot, then brought it down hard onto Jim's toes.

"WHAT ON EARTH HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?!" Jim hollered, instantly snapping out of his fearful stupor.

Never before was the instructor's yelling such a welcomed sound. As to answer his rather loud question, Odd thrust the second fire extinguisher into his hands.

"Run," the blonde haired boy said frankly.

Once again, Jim saw the rats, but this time he held enough of his wits to actually get his legs moving toward the exit. With the big man running for his life, Odd took the lead and fired a quick spray of liquid at the horde of rats blocking their way to clear the path. As they made their mad dash toward the exit, Odd thought in the back of his mind to ask Rebecca to draw a picture of him stepping on Jim's foot. It was certainly an image worth seeing time and time again.

* * *

Ulrich had had enough of playing the tactical advisor for one day, and was anxious to help his friends out in other ways. Already, he had managed to inch himself to the side so that he was ready to help his roommate out anyway he could.

"Catch!"

Wanting to speed up their escape, Odd had thrown the fire extinguisher toward his friend, who promptly caught it. Still maintaining his lead over Jim, Odd was somehow able to retrieve the red item from his clutches, and prepared himself for another toss.

"Rebecca!"

The round object flew through the air and into the girl's clutches, still full and ready to be used.

"You know what to do!" He said to encourage further action from the eccentric artist, and smiled as she nodded in agreement.

* * *

The cart that Kap Hwan had shoved had come to a skidding halt near Clayton, and he began to unload the various trays, passing them to the nervous onlookers around him. What started out as a single defiant lunch lady had now morphed into a massive teen army, lead by one angry student wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.

"Man, it really sucks to be you guys!"

The one thing that XANA was unable to control was the rats' self-preservation instinct, which was now in overdrive by the sight that their beady eyes took in. Cautiously, they inched their retreat, planning to regroup later.

"Hey, Ulrich," Clayton called out, "what's keeping you from opening that door?"

"Think you can hold them off just a bit longer?"

Clayton's eyes narrowed as he handed his tray to an unsuspecting student standing next to him, letting a diabolical smile spread across his face.

"With pleasure."

Summoning all the strength in his arms, Clayton flipped the entire lunch cart over with a furious yell, sending it falling to the floor with a horrific impact. It was a crude tactic at best, yet quite effective in terms of scaring off their troublesome enemies.

Armed with a fire extinguisher, Ulrich used the sound generated by the fallen cart to begin his part of the plan.

"Go!"

The boy's right foot shot forward and kicked the door that was in front of him wide open and began to unleash a steady stream of white foam toward the unsuspecting group of rodents. Rebecca soon followed his lead and unloaded her extinguisher the same way, initiating a two-pronged attack against XANA's latest batch of minions.

For the students watching, no further direction was needed on what to do next; the time to escape was now. As they rushed out the door to join the rest of the group, they were relieved to get out of the cafeteria alive. The only doubt that lingered in their minds was what was going to happen to them now.

On the front line stood Ulrich and Rebecca, burdened with the important task of keeping the rats at bay. So far, everything was going smoothly. The liquid that the fire extinguishers were spewing out worked wonders when it came to pest control, but it wouldn't be enough. They had managed to ride out the most turbulent moment of the storm, but time was still running out.

"We got to think of another plan guys," Odd shouted, worried as he stood just a foot behind his friends. "I don't think we can keep this pace up all night!"

Someone else was in agreement with these concerns, and he stepped forward from the crowd to say so.

"I'm with the purple freak over here." Said Clayton, using the opportunity to point out Ulrich's lack of foresight, but also phrasing it in a way that showed he still had some animosity toward Odd. "Hey Dirk, you got any ideas?"

The Korean emerged from the throng of students, wearing his usual calm expression. However, signs of fatigue did manage to bleed through his icy demeanor.

"Since we can't think of a proper solution," he explained, "we should fortify our defenses to buy us some time."

Dirk turned his back to the two members of the Weirdo Bunch and faced the other students, who were taking a less proactive stance for their predicament. The number of scared faces he saw could be counted in the double digits.

"Alright, listen up!" he shouted. "Everyone along the outside hold your trays up as to create a continuous wall all around the group. This isn't the time to act cowardly. If you want to stay alive, then make an effort to do so!"

Just then, as always happened whenever things started to go the Lyoko gang's way, trouble reared its ugly head once more.

"Help!" a high-pitched feminine voice from the other side of the courtyard called.

Ulrich took one good look at the source. "Sissi?!" he exclaimed. "What she's doing over there?"

"We have to help her," Odd said while he relieved Rebecca of her duties as rat monitor, gesturing to the artist for her fire extinguisher. "If we stand here and do nothing, she'll be eaten alive."

Though his sense of responsibility was something to admire, the recklessness his actions suggested warranted a stern warning.

"But Odd," Rebecca interjected. "How do you suppose we do that? I mean, I'm just as up for saving Sissi as the next person, but do you have a way to accomplish this?"

"I don't…" The boy looked at his new friend just in time to see her expression melt to a mixture of disappointment and worry. "But there are two people I know who could. Just have some faith, they'll be here."

* * *

Enough was enough! Mr. Simone had come to that realization after enduring only five minutes of garbled gibberish from the other side of the library's doors. Acting out of his duty as a teacher – and to preserve what little patience the bothersome noise had yet to whittle down – the older man opened the door.

"If you don't mind, there are some people inside trying to take a test!"

Ah the classic "Silence!" line. Of course, such words would only work for a human audience. It only took Mr. Simone one look to see what sort of trouble he was in.

"RATS!"

Much like their cafeteria dwelling counterparts, these rodents leapt high in the air, ready to attack the first human they saw. Just before Mr. Simone asked himself whether or not his insurance plan would cover rat bites, the tiny creatures' bodies violently slammed into the library's door compliments of Jeremie's quick reflexes.

"Tsk…XANA," Jeremie muttered.

Though slamming the door proved to be quite the effective rodent repellent, Jeremie knew that it was only a temporary solution.

"Those rats are going to keep on chewing until they actually eat through the door. We're going to have to barricade it."

Mr. Simone hastily complied. Genius or not, this student at least knew how to keep his calm in this sort of situation, something that could not be said for himself.

* * *

XANA had once again used the confines of Kadic Junior High as his own personal battle-ground to issue his challenge. Yumi willed her legs to increase their already furious pace, to make it to the school as fast as she could. Little details like fatigue were promptly ignored.

For the first time in a long while, she was going to be facing off against this ghostly menace without the aid of her brother. It was hardly a new experience for her, yet for some reason it just felt...off. Then again, this was no time to be hesitating; Ulrich and the others needed her help, and she was going to pull through for them. She just hoped that whatever Jin was planning would be worth the wait.

The Japanese girl blinked a total of five times to process the fact that the horrors that Kadic contained surpassed any of her expectations. There, near the cafeteria's entrance, stood her friends and classmates, surrounded by a sea of dark fur. Not thinking twice, she increased her already demanding pace to even higher levels to make up for lost time.

All she needed to see was Ulrich's outstretched arm pointing at a vague location, along with his own look of worry, to know what to do. Yumi cycled past the fortified students and sped toward the isolated Sissi. The rats that were not quick enough to get out of her way soon founded themselves batted away by the momentum of her bike. Applying the brakes, Yumi gestured to Sissi to get to safety.

"Your carriage, Cinderella."

She had definitely been spending too much time with Odd, as his tendency to crack corny jokes at such crucial moments was beginning to rub off on her… but then again maybe a bit of humor was just what was needed at the moment. Sissi only nodded and maneuvered herself into the spare seat, clinging onto Yumi's body for dear life as she cycled in the opposite direction. They were approaching the students at breakneck speed, but she dared not slow down until she absolutely had to. Acting on almost pure instinct, she shifted her weight into her bike so that it slid across the asphalt sideways, skidding quite suddenly to a halt. Tiny yelps of panic came from the rats, adding to the chaos of frantic screams and clouds of dust and soil. The two girls were a bit bewildered that they had survived such a crazy stunt.

"You're absolutely insane for trying something like that!" Sissi said as she stood up, her nerves still somewhat jolted.

The complaints ended there. Though she could have continued to chew her out on account of her recklessness, a good deed was a good deed.

"Thanks," Sissi uttered in hushed tones as she decide to let the issue rest.

Odd looked at his two latest companions and flashed them his award-winning smile.

"Welcome to the Rat Pack."

* * *

When a book is published and released to the public, it is meant to be enjoyed, read, and used as a teaching tool...not as a barricading device. However, if you were to ask Jeremie Belpois and Mr. Simone, they could care less about the paper bound item's purpose, as survival was the bottom line tonight.

Jeremie stared at the nearly two shelves' worth of books that had been piled in front of the library's doors. Though the stack looked rather solid, further improvements to the barricade could still be made.

"You go at it alone, there's something else I need to take care of."

The only lasting way the rodent infestation could be dealt with was to cut the problem off at the source. Jeremie opened his laptop.

"Aelita, sorry for my late arrival but I think XANA is up to something."

That transmission put Aelita's fears to rest, and she could stop mentally tossing and turning, contemplating Jeremie's safety.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you. When I wasn't able to contact you in your room, I began to worry."

"We can talk about that later. Right now we need to focus on XANA. What's your current situation?"

Aelita stopped in mid crawl underneath a large black coil of almost organic nature. From the shaded cover of the coil, the girl had a perfect view of the glowing red tower.

"I decided to do some scouting in the meantime and have the tower in sight. Other than that, everything is calm here. Though XANA might have some monsters lying in wait for me."

Her current findings made it very tempting for Jeremie to suggest that Aelita should make a break toward the tower, but without the aid of the factory's more powerful computer, he had no way to know what sort of surprises XANA might have in store.

"Ok here's the plan. I'm going to contact the others and head over to the factory. In the meantime, you stay still and out of sight."

"I will."

* * *

Outside, things were starting to fare a bit better as well. The students had now managed to create a semi-complex group defense system. Odd and Ulrich were in front, and were the main force responsible for keeping the rats back. Clayton and Rebecca were a step away, on guard duty. Though they themselves did not know what was going on, they had resolved to back up the two roommates to the best of their abilities. Closer to the throng of students were Yumi and Dirk. Their role was less offense oriented, as they made sure that the rest of teenagers did not break formation with their shield of lunch trays. Though the events at the library still lingered in her mind, Yumi decided not to take any rash actions toward the Korean; there were lives at stake right now, so bickering would have to wait.

"Okay Yumi, something is seriously up here. Mind telling me what's going on?"

Yumi glanced over her shoulder and shook her head.

"There's not enough time so just follow our lead."

"So annoying," Dirk muttered under his breath.

It was then that Yumi noticed the slap mark on Dirk's face. She didn't comment on this observation as her cell phone rang.

"Jeremie?" The young genius asked the most obvious question, which Yumi gave a rather blunt answer to. "Yes, the rats have attacked us."

She stayed on the line just long enough to hear his last-minute directions, then shifted her attention to her friends.

"That was Jeremie," Yumi said. "He wants us to meet up at the factory."

Ulrich aimed the black hose at the rats and released another stream of flame-suppressing white foam.

"Wait, are we not forgetting about someone? What about Jin?"

"Aniki stayed behind to look for something. I didn't have time to argue with his rationale and just came here as fast as I could."

"Well, before we leave, we need to find a safe place for all these students."

"I've got it!" Jim yelled out, reminding everyone that he was still there. "The science building is the only place in the school that is not connected to the sewers. We should head over there."

"Good idea!" Ulrich and Yumi said in unison.

Mercifully the trek to the science building was short, and the student militia had no problem getting to its doorway. However, getting Jim to open the locked doors was a more difficult task. Again the man was losing the battle with his fear, and although he was able to produce the key needed to unlock the door, he was unable to perform the simple task of inserting it into the keyhole.

"Move it! How hard is it to turn a key?"

The immense pressure was getting to Dirk. Normally the calm and collected individual, his patience was wearing out, and maintaining his indifferent nature was becoming harder and harder.

Odd laid down another layer of extinguisher foam and noticed that the extinguisher's pressure was weakening.

"Will you hurry up Jim? The extinguishers are almost out!"

Jim could barely hear the sound of scraping metal over the loud chattering his teeth were producing. But his hand finally reached the keyhole, guided by another more slender than his.

"Easy does it."

Yumi looked at her fearful PE teacher and smiled, then the two of them swung the doors wide open to let the other students inside.

The sound of stampeding footsteps alerted Ulrich that shelter was within their grasp but it did not mark the end of their trial.

"Maintain the front lines. We can not afford to slip up now when we're so close to safety."

Odd looked to his side and smiled. "That was creepy man. For a brief moment you sounded like Dirk with that last order."

Dirk just closed his eyes and shook his head.

The students filed into the science building, thinning their ranks and allowing Ulrich and Odd to breathe just a bit easier.

"It's go time!"

Now it was time for the counter resistance to flee from their posts. Ulrich turned and fled along with his friends and enemies to safer ground but made an about face just as quickly to get in one last parting blast. The extinguisher released a heavy hiss of compressed air and nothing more.

"Oh no!" Ulrich said in horror. "What do we do now?"

It seemed as if fate had set up the events of the night so that the Ishiyamas could save the day. Out in the distance, the sounds of spokes turning and tires rubbing against concrete could be heard. Such small audio patterns that could have easily been dismissed as environmental ambiance, but signaled something much more significant.

Jin had arched his body over the handles of his bicycle, the most ideal position for pedaling fast. He looked up just in time to see his fellow students escape into the confines of the science building, and Ulrich's failed attempt to hold he rats off one last time. The oldest team member had arrived late to the battle, but there was still much more work that needed to be done. It looks like the item he brought along with him would come in handy soon enough.

"Hang on guys!"

Much like his sister before him, Jin began to pick up speed to slice through the sea of rats that blocked his way. However, what he did not count on was the emergence of a medium size rock in his path, obscured from view by the rats. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if he had been riding slowly, but he was going as fast as he possibly could.

The rear end of Jin's bike bucked into the air, launching the boy from his seat and over the remaining rats as if he were a boulder fired from a medieval catapult. The side of his face was the first to touch down, followed by the palms of his hands and then the rest of his body. He skidded a few more inches before coming to a complete stop right next to Ulrich.

"Jin!" Ulrich, Odd and Yumi gasped.

The fallen boy mustered enough strength to lift his head and upper body with his right forearm. His expression was groggy and showed signs that he was going slip into unconsciousness any given moment. Still he hung onto his resolve.

"Back...pack," he said weakly before collapsing from fatigue.

That's when Ulrich saw it. Jin had brought a spare fire extinguisher to the school as he had the suspicion that they might need a bit more firepower.

Without waiting to be told, both Yumi and Rebecca rushed to Jin and hoisted him off the floor to get him somewhere safe. Their escape was covered by one last extinguisher blast by Ulrich before the defenders rushed inside and closed the doors keeping the rats outside for good.

Now safe from the chaos outside, the two adults were able to think with clear minds and evaluate their current status.

"Is everyone ok?" Rosa asked.

"He's not" the two older girls said in unison pointing their fingers to a body slumped against the back wall. Jim looked at the boy's face and was shocked to find out his identity.

"Jin?! Since when did he get here?"

"Aniki arrived during our evacuation into the science building. He stayed behind to look for an extra extinguisher."

Separate from the questioning, a rather collected Dirk Kap Hwan gazed out the glass doors of the science building idly watching the rats pressed up against the panes, remaining unnoticed by those around him.

Jim got down on one knee to inspect the possible damages. Nothing too serious, other than a medium size cut on the right side of his face, which came from his head hitting the floor. It wasn't too deep nor was it bleeding profusely. He was indeed a lucky one, that was for sure.

"Is he hurt badly?" Yumi asked, almost fearing the answer she might hear.

"Your brother is ok. Just a bit banged up but aside from that it's nothing too serious."

Jin finally began to show some signs of life. His body stirred, and his eyes opened slowly, meeting Jim's gaze with his own.

"Oh man I had this terrible dream. The school was being attacked by rats and everything just went crazy..."

The dazed boy raised his finger and pointed at his PE teacher before directing his attention to the other concerned students who were looking at him as well.

"...and you were there, and you...you too."

Jim took a few tentative steps back looking rather troubled with after hearing the butchered quote from Wizard of Oz. This curious expression was mirrored by all those who were watching. Well...all except one.

Dirk Kap Hwan turned on his heel and slowly walked over to Jin, who wore a rather dopey grin on his face. Taking only a second to look him over, Dirk lifted him by the collar of his shirt and slammed his back against the wall.

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face! In case you haven't noticed, we're up to our necks in problems already. Now, thanks to your idiotic heroics, things just got a whole lot more complicated for us!"

Dirk's little double-cross in the library this morning paled in comparison to what he was doing now. This was an injured person he was assaulting. Yumi wasn't going to have any of this.

"Let go of my brother. I'm not in the mood to be playing your little games."

"This isn't a game Yumi. I'm doing what's needed to be done. If you want to stay alive, then I suggest not interfering with me."

Dirk pulled Jin away from the wall only to smash him into it once more. The boy's body jostled against the impact.

By now Yumi and Rebecca had seen enough, and dashed toward the Korean to separate him from his latest victim. Despite both of their angry glares, Dirk was smiling.

"What kind of sick enjoyment did you get from hurting Aniki?! Are you blinded by your own goals that you decide to hurt him despite the fact that we're in the middle of a huge crisis?"

On his part Dirk casually raised his index finger and pointed directly ahead of him. Yumi adjusted her field of vision accordingly and saw her brother shaking his head side to side as if he was recreating an exaggerated reaction from Looney Tunes.

"Gah! What's the big idea Dirk? Thanks for getting rid of those extra brain cells!" Jin's eyes shot wide open and glimmered with the same vitality that as they had before, replacing his once vacant stare.

The Korean just chuckled.

"He just needed a bit of physical persuasion to snap out of his little episode. I think this is the part where you start apologizing for doubting my line of reasoning."

Instead Yumi chose to snarl at the remark. It would be a cold day in the underworld before she would actually apologize to such an arrogant person. Dirk knew he wasn't going to hear what he wanted and just calmly returned to his original spot by the door to gaze at the rats who tried to claw their way inside.

Rebecca was mortified with what she saw, not used to the drastic methods that Kap Hwan was more than willing to wield. His ruthlessness was both savage and cunning, but what made the whole ordeal frightful was that he was actually successful in bringing Jin to his senses so quickly. Not to mention his quick thinking and willingness to help play a decisive factor. This was something she shouldn't dwell on. It was time for them to move on.

"Guys, what do we do now?"

That brought the attention to where it should be: finding a safe place for all the students. Yumi was the first to come up with an answer.

"The rooftops."

Odd, who had been silent the whole time, quickly shared his two cents on his friend's suggestion.

"Um, Yumi? Don't you ever watch movies? Whenever the bad guys trap the good guys in a building, and the good guys retreat to the roof, the bad guys _always_ manage to follow them up and corner them. At least on the first floor we can still get out if they manage to get in."

Ulrich replied, "Get out to where? To outside where all the rest of the rats are? At least on the roof there's a whole building between us and the rats, and the area could buy us more time on Lyoko."

Od heaved a heavy sigh, but finally said, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's go."

* * *

Compared to battling for a patch of land that was not rodent-infested and only making progress measured in centimeters, climbing a flight of stairs was quite the cake walk. The immense pressure that the initial confrontation over at the cafeteria carried began to wear thin; heart rates slowed, breaths became deeper and minds began to clear. There were those among the group who were daring enough to engage in idle conversation or crack a small joke here and there.

Already thinking two steps ahead of the game, the Lyoko Gang took this much needed break in the action to survey how much damage the rats had caused to the school and to see if it was safe to travel by foot to the factory. Much to their confusion, the rodents had converged at a rather large tree, and before the teenagers could contemplate such a weird turn of events, the giant plant had fallen from its base and crashed into the science building's windows, creating a bridge between the outside and the students' temporary haven. The clock was winding down fast.

Yumi was the first to speak.

"We need to get to the factory and meet up with Jeremie." She allowed herself to blink a few times as she realized she had made quite the oversight. "Well, when he eventually gets there."

Concern painted its features across Ulrich's face.

"Still though, how can we get down? Taking the stairs is out of the question."

A still slightly dazed Jin stepped in-between his sister and the brown haired boy and looked down at the courtyard.

"XANA really topped himself here. I'm impressed."

Ulrich turned his head and couldn't help but stare at gash on the side of Jin's head. Though not life threatening, it certainly would have caused a great deal of pain if left exposed to the elements as it was now.

"Jin, you might want to bandage..."

The injured boy held up his hand.

"It can wait."

"Still though, I can't believe you got that nasty cut all because you stayed behind to get an extra extinguisher. You really didn't need to do that."

Jin was a bit shocked that his act of heroism born of good intentions was being criticized so harshly.

"Hey! You used it!"

"Yeah I did, but only_ once_. One blast from a fire extinguisher is not worth scrambling your brains all over the concrete.

Yumi looked up and nodded in agreement.

"He has a good point Aniki."

Jin just took the comments with a grumpy look on his face and a low grumble.

"Fine!" He spat out in an over-exaggerated manner. "Next time XANA uses an army of rats to attack the school, don't come crying to me if you need someone to take a huge spill on their bike."

Odd on his part had chosen to forego the chitchat to look for something that he could use to return to the ground floor. What he found was the rooftop's fire hose, an ideal item for rappelling down the sides of buildings as many action movies had taught him. Hastily, he threw the hose over the side of the building, urging the others to grab on and head down. It was interesting that another fire fighting device had helped them in their fight against XANA.

Jim stretched out his hand as to stop the teens. Seeing his students jump off the side of a building was more than enough of a sight to kick his protective teacher's instincts into high gear.

"Hey wait! You can't just leave!"

Ulrich didn't give the man the time of day and swiftly leapt over the building's side to join Yumi and Odd.

The last member in the quartet prepared for his descent, but before he could make his leap of faith, Jim put his hand on his shoulder.

"Not you too, Jin. C'mon, use your head. You're already on the injured list."

The boy sighed and put on a small smile for the worried teacher. He appreciated his concern for his safety but this was something beyond the man's control.

"Thanks for caring, Jim, but I gotta go. Listen, there are things out there that you do not know even exist that are playing a huge factor in our daily lives. Besides, I've already taken one nasty fall; I don't think it will happen again."

Jin was gone. The teacher watched the fire hose tighten under the boy's weight as he climbed down the side of the building. His suspicions were confirmed: Jeremie and his group did know something that the rest of the world was completely ignorant of. As much as he would love to chase after the teens to discover the truth himself, there were other students who needed his attention. This quiet moment of inner reflection was shattered by the sound of Jin's screaming piercing his ear-drums.

"Crud, my grip!"

What came next were the panicked screams of a certain clumsy Japanese boy, followed by several grunts of pain as he bounced off a few dangling tree branches before his body hit the ground, making a rather impressive thud. Jim just buried his face into the palm of his hand.

"That kid needs to get a life insurance plan real soon."

* * *

A collective sigh was emitted from the group of friends when Jin's head collided with the floor for the second time that day. Aside from a few extra scrapes and bruises, Jin was unharmed by his free fall and was able to stand on his legs without any help.

Yumi wasted no time when it came to bringing everyone's attention back to its original focus.

"We have no time to stand around, every second we waste here, the rats just get closer to the others!"

With that they took off running toward the familiar manhole cover that they relied upon to grant them passage to the factory. It only took them a few strides in their mad dash toward the destination for the group to realize that they were one member short.

Odd cocked his head to the side and saw the missing person running at full sprint in the opposite direction.

"Hey Jin, I think you took too many blows to the head for tonight. The factory is the other way."

Jin shook his head.

"I don't know about you, but I don't feel too comfortable with the idea of leaving Jeremie alone with the risk of him being turned into a human chew toy. I'll stay behind and play bodyguard while you guys go save the world."

The teens silently approved of his request and ran deeper into the forest and prepared themselves to climb into the city's sewer system. As Ulrich and Odd pried away the metal cover, he was greeted with the site of a few dozens rats packed tight in the cylindrical cavity. Hastily he returned the manhole cover to its rightful spot.

Yumi was first when it came to thinking of an alternative strategy.

"Not good. We have no choice, we'll have to go over the wall."

Already one warrior down, the team stayed close to one another as not to be separated and have their ranks thin even more.

* * *

Jeremie would have bet money that if it wasn't for the push button on the flashlight's case, Mr. Simone would have lost all traces of his sanity.

"I hate rats...when I was a kid, a rat came into my room..."

The silence hung in the air, allowing the listener to come up with his own conclusion on what happened that night. With the library's main entrance secured, fear was replaced by boredom. The gears in Jeremie's head turned as he tried to think of an escape plan. Even if he managed to find a way outside, he knew that there would only be more rats waiting to eat him alive. His brain was strained with all the thinking he had to do, and allowed itself to listen to what little of the psychologist's story about his phobia of rats he wished to share. The windowsills also had their fair share of rodent spectators eagerly waiting to pounce on those foolish enough to allow their company indoors. His eyes casually gazed at the bright circle of light on that window that was constantly disappearing and reappearing with each time Mr. Simone pressed the flashlight's button. It wasn't much to look at but at least it was better than seeing a few hundred rats on your windowsill; when the light was on, they were hard to see.

"Wait!"

Jeremie's thoughts came to a screeching halt. The rats were not hard to see, they were gone! Quickly Jeremie reached over to the tool and gripped it in his hand to test his theory. Shining, the beam at the window nearest him he smiled as he watched the creatures run off into the distance. This was the turnaround he was looking for. Ideas were rushing into the genius' mind, ideas on how to get out of here.

"Excellent. Wait here sir; I'm going to the photo lab."

"Jeremie, don't leave me with the rats...alone," Mr. Simone's called out fearfully. Just getting that one sentence out through his chattering teeth and constant stuttering was a feat in itself, but a feat that Jeremie would not listen to for the time being. He returned later with several flashers in his hand that were used on the tops of high-end cameras.

"At least you won't be defenseless. If the rats get too close to you, just give them a flash from these and they'll be chased away."

Being the cautious type, Jeremie decided to check out the library's current condition before he ventured off into the night. If things got too hairy, he might have to ask Mr. Simone to leave with him before the situation could get worse. He climbed the stairs to the library's balcony and looked into the lobby area where he first saw the rats. It seemed that XANA had already given up on his frontal assault after the two of them so diligently erected that barricade on the other end, and had diverted his rodent army elsewhere. A quick peek outside showed that the rest of the courtyard was in a similar condition as well, making it quite safe to exit through the front door. Using the fire escape to get back to the ground floor, Jeremie casually pressed against the door's bar to open it, but was perplexed when he encountered some resistance on the other side.

"Something must be preventing the door from opening on the other side," he muttered.

With no time to go back, Jeremie took the next logical step in dealing with such a problem: brute force. Remembering what Yumi had taught him when she found him training in the forest, the boy got into his fighting stance and prepared himself to throw his entire body's weight into the obstruction.

* * *

Jin had managed to arrive at the library in one piece and took a quick break before barging inside to catch his breath, and to check how well he was faring in his damaged shape. Somehow his body had made accommodations for both his wounds and his own physical demands; he had almost forgotten about the cut that rested on his right temple. Expecting that XANA might have laid a trap for him, Jin pressed his ear against the door as to listen for any unusual noises inside. Instead of hearing any indicators that there was life inside, Jin felt as if the entire door was pushing against him. He backed away, perplexed.

"That's weird... Maybe Odd is right. Maybe I _am_ losing it," the tired boy panted. Not knowing what to make of his latest observation, he turned to his left and gazed at the school's main building. It looked so peaceful, yet this was a façade, as a war between man and beast raged within its borders.

"As if a XANA attack isn't bad enough, now there's the possibility that I might be going crazy. Geez, talk about—"

The library door that he was standing in front of took that moment to shoot violently open, knocking the Japanese boy out of its way which almost caused him to roll down the flight of cement steps, while in the process giving him a good blow to the head. Jeremie walked through the opening he just created and rubbed his shoulder as to drive the numb sensation he was feeling out of his shoulder. He was amazed at himself that he was able to generate so much power and secretly wished his friends were nearby to see this achievement.

"Man, that was easy. Looks like whatever was blocking the door wasn't as big as I originally thought."

"Did somebody get the license plate of that semi that just hit me?" Jin groaned as he thrust his hand into the air to inform any onlookers that he was on the ground.

"Jin?!"

It didn't take Jeremie long to realize that he had just clobbered one of his friends on accident. Though Jin's clumsiness was accepted by the students of Kadic as a fact of life, he still couldn't help but feel sorry for hurting the guy.

"Are you alright?"

The older boy's eyes opened revealing a glazed stare.

"Oh man I had this terrible dream. The school was being attacked..." Before he could give an encore performance of his last dreamlike rant, Jin managed to snap out of his daze without the need of having the back of his head bashed against a wall like last time.

"That really hurt man!"

He placed his hand on the side of the face that had been struck by the door, which was unfortunately the same side he had landed on when he crashed his bike.

"AIYA!"

"Sorry, I didn't know you were on the other side. Can you stand on your own?"

Jeremie was amazed at his friend's resiliency, as he did indeed manage to rise on his own two feet as if nothing had happened.

"I can manage. Listen, Yumi and the others are heading over to the factory as we speak. I split off from the group in order to get you just incase you needed some backup."

A third party decided to eavesdrop on the boys' little meeting and he had brought along a few friends to keep him company. The rat and his cohorts released a feral hiss, baring their teeth and showing the rest of the world that they were ready for a fight.

Jeremie on his part aimed the flasher, pressed the trigger and smiled at the results that came his way.

"Like what you see?" He said cheekily.

Jin was wearing a look of utter defeat.

"You mean that bump to the head I took thinking you were going to need my help was all a waste?"

"Well...not really," Jeremie said trying his best not to acknowledge the truth. "It's the thought that counts."

Not wanting to know of any other pointless injuries he had already suffered through, Jin gestured toward the factory by pointing behind him with his thumb.

"Let's just get to the factory."

* * *

Thousands of angry beady eyes welcomed the rest of the Lyoko team upon their arrival at the factory's bridge.

"And I was only expecting a few people to our little party. Now how am I supposed to find enough chips and dip to feed all these mouths?"

"Odd...not now," Ulrich said through clenched teeth. His movements were small and constricted as to not to provoke the rats any further.

A similar idea entered Yumi's mind as she slowly inched away from the angry furry mob.

"XANA's really pulled out all the stops this time."

"Yeah, it's like he's thought of everything to stop us," Ulrich said in agreement. He hated the fact that he was complimenting his enemy but a well-played move was a well-played move; morality was irrelevant to that.

Odd would have none of this. He had solved the team's predicament over on the rooftops and he hoped he could do the same now. Taking a huge chance, the boy leapt over a nearby rail and landed on the lower platform near the bridge's base.

His search for a contingency plan came in the form of an abandoned inflatable raft floating just an arm's length away, complete with a set of oars. The thought of why such a perfectly capable raft was abandoned did not even enter his mind, as there were far more pressing matters to divert his attention to.

"Hey guys!"

Both Yumi and Ulrich tensed up with that vocal outburst, as such a sudden move could prove to be the catalyst that would cause the rats to attack. Knowing that time was of the essence, the two teens abandoned their stalling plan and hopped over the metal bar as well.

"Your vessel awaits you," Odd said with an outstretched hand that was directed toward the raft in a similar manner as a butler would usher guests into an expensive yacht.

Now wasn't the time to be playing the insult game with Odd, so the two friends chose not to mince words with the prankster but silently boarded the inflatable vessel instead. Odd and Ulrich each grabbed an oar and began to paddle for all they were worth. The raft left the dock and drifted in the direction of the factory, guided by the humans who rode inside.

Many emotions were flowing through Yumi's body: fear, anxiety, excitement, and hope, each one causing her to stir in place just a bit more and raising her heartbeat just a tad bit higher.

"Faster!"

It was a selfish order really. Somehow she had gotten the notion that the faster the raft got to the factory, the sooner she could get a grip on herself and calm down. She knew the boys were trying their hardest, but still her subconscious desired for more to be done.

"I'd love to go faster, Yumi, but I really don't see that happening in the near future." Odd said in his defense.

She sighed, and stared at the bridge. She had to calm down; the signs of her cracking were becoming more and more evident. She was never the type of person who would demand the impossible, but in her panic-stricken state, there was no other option.

* * *

The night was cool and clear, undisturbed and uncompromising, much like how XANA was now. Right from the beginning he set forth to prove his superiority to his enemies, with each step of his attack leaving those he targeted with no chance to escape. Even with the children attempting to escape by raft, he was not going to loosen his grip so easily. It started with one rat diving off the bridge's edge, followed by another, then an entire group. The rodents' movements were conducted on a mass scale, leaping into the river as a black cloud rather than as individual creatures. The cloud reformed on the water's surface carrying with it the intentions of multiple rats with a single purpose.

If Yumi needed a valid excuse to push Odd and Ulrich harder, she had it.

"Faster, guys! Faster!"

This time no complaints came her way.

The boys' arms were strained and their breaths were short, but whatever physical pains they were feeling were instantly driven from their minds until exhaustion was just a faded memory. Odd and Ulrich rowed for all they were worth, with the swarm of rats as their motivation. The raft's riders were knocked off balance a bit when the rear end of the floatation vehicle collided with solid land, but they did not bother to slow down for even a second. The factory's trap door was the destination they decided upon once their feet hit dry land, and they saw little need to diverge from this last-minute plan. One set of footsteps echoed in the stairwell, joined by another, then a third, followed by the loud creaking of a wooden door being closed, then the sound of an elevator lowering.

* * *

It was only a natural choice for Ulrich and Odd to be sent to Lyoko. The dynamic those two possessed when they fought side by side was powerful enough to change the tide of battle many a time.

Yumi found Jeremie's chair to be quite the comfortable piece of furniture, but she also found it a bit unsettling that she was venturing into something she did not understand or belong to. The supercomputer was Jeremie's calling and his project and his secret to unravel, along with the mysteries of Lyoko and with their friend Aelita. Often Yumi would feel bad for the young genius for he was the only one who was capable of cracking the complicated codes necessary to thwart XANA, while she just stood on the sidelines dumfounded with his technical skill. Apprehensive hands touched the computer's cold keys, pressing buttons tentatively, worried that each keystroke might unravel all progress Jeremie had accumulated since its activation. If she was going to do this right, then she needed help, and there was only one person in the entire world that she could call for this.

* * *

XANA's attacks were characterized by bursts of chaotic happenings, interspersed with intervals of peace and quiet to keep his enemies off-balance. Now was such a time. Jeremie and Jin walked calmly toward the factory as if they were on a nightly stroll.

To give up a normal life for the sake of duty and for what's right. It was a hidden oath that Jeremie nearly lost sight of. Torn between two obligations, his faith had reached an all time low and tempted him to a path that would make him forget his responsibilities. It was at this dark moment that he reclaimed his original focus.

He would stay and fight. He would fight with every keystroke and piece of code he could generate from his young mind. He would fight to defeat XANA and would to continue to fight for _her_. He was being tested: tested on his beliefs and his conviction. To lose now after gaining so much understanding of himself would be a tragedy.

"So Jeremie, I heard you had a little chat with my sister a while back. Did you make up your mind on what you want to do?"

The younger boy eyed the camera flasher in his hand, the only weapon he had when it came to holding back XANA's army of rats.

"I'm not leaving you guys. I promised Aelita that I would free her from Lyoko, and that's what I'm going to do. But right now I just want to see this crisis dealt with."

The wind picked up and ruffled the edges of his blue turtleneck gently but was far more harsh in its treatment of the boy's bodyguard, for it disturbed the still fresh cuts on his face.

"That makes two of us."

"Say Jin, why do you fight?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. To know what is right and not act on it is true cowardice."

A typical answer from the male Ishiyama. Jeremie's cell phone rang, but he was still curious about Jin. He was notorious for his constant self-sacrificing, both on and off Lyoko, for the sake of friends, family and complete strangers. Was simple moral obligation all that was driving him to death's door on countless occasions?

"Your sister said the same thing, but is that all?"

Jin replied simply, "Your cell phone is ringing."

For the first time that night, Jeremie was able to answer his cell phone without having to face the overbearing glare of the school's psychologist, much to the relief of the caller on the other line.

"Maybe next time you should answer that first." Jin said semi-jokingly.

The phone's owner agreed full heartedly.

"Jeremie, it's Yumi. Is Aniki with you?"

He looked over his shoulder and saw the oldest member of their team hold onto his temple for a few more seconds before assuming his normal posture.

"He's a bit beat up but otherwise nothing different from the norm. What's your status?"

"I'm at the super computer and have to virtualize Ulrich and Odd while at the same time locating Aelita."

"Ok Yumi, listen to exactly what I have to tell you..."

* * *

Rebecca peered over the rooftops edge looking for any traces of her newfound friends. To the other students who saw their little escapade with Jim, puzzlement's claws had deeply sunk into their minds. Why would four teenagers be so willing to leave the safety of the science building? Such a question Rebecca did not have an answer to, nor did she feel like she had a part in uncovering the truth. She opted to just look after those left behind with the aid of Jin's extra extinguisher, rather than snooping for information.

"I wonder if they're ok."

Hollow footsteps approached her, growing louder with each passing moment.

"What a bunch of idiots."

The artist turned around and saw the profile of Dirk's calm exterior staring off into the starless sky. She felt nothing but contempt for this boy and such harsh comments she could have easily done without. Odd and the others were not as stupid as he said. Though a bit reckless, they showed incredible amounts of bravery and resourcefulness in dealing with the first skirmish in the cafeteria; if it were not for their intervention, they might have not made it this far.

"How dare you insult them! Need I remind you that they helped save our lives?"

Dirk kept his gazed fixed at his unknown focal point, unfazed by the young girl's yelling

"I was referring to us. All we could do was mindlessly follow orders like sheep. We had to be lead by the hand and be told what to do because we were all blabbering imbeciles with no clue about the big picture."

"Oh," was all she could say when faced with such a poignant observation.

"Those guys have courage of a different kind. Not the type you use when you want to stare down the face of fear with a smirk on your face and a lead pipe hidden behind your back. This is bravery that stems from the truth. To be able to take action because you know you will not be caught by surprise. When someone is courageous because they know the truth, they are truly a difficult opponent to defeat in battle, as they can see through deception and trickery."

"How do you know all of this?"

"The way they took command of the situation. It's not something one can do on the spur of the moment easily. They've done this before."

Rebecca was moved by his words. Not wanting to spoil the moment, she decided to apologize for her previous actions, as she might not have another chance to do so.

"Sorry for slapping you earlier."

A few red marks remained on his pale face. Dirk brought his fingers to where he was hit, as if to remember the stinging sensation he had experienced by her hand.

"Now is not the time. Wait till after we get rid of these rats before you ask for my forgiveness."

* * *

The desert region was quiet, which made the act of sneaking to the tower undetected much easier for Aelita. Her own eyes confirmed what she already knew from the start: XANA had unleashed another attack. The fact that Jeremie and the others had yet to establish any sort of contact with her since she first warned them of this made her think that they were probably caught in the middle of the assault.

She debated with herself about acting alone and making a beeline toward the possessed tower. If her friends were indeed in danger, then she was their only hope for salvation, but then again Jeremie had advised her against making such rash judgments. Her mind was made up: she would stay. She had faith in the others that they would pull through.

A single laser beam shot past her. Lyoko was not so quiet anymore.

* * *

Manning the super-computer for the first time without any knowledge in the field of programming would prove to be more than just "intimidating". Listening to Jeremie's instructions, Yumi's apprehensive fingers began to type away at the keyboard, lacking the younger student's fluidity and confidence that normally accompanied the keystrokes. Making a mistake topped her current list of fears, and she did everything she could to make sure that she was typing in the right codes; if that meant asking Jeremie to repeat his directions three or four more times, then so be it.

"Ok all that I have to do is type in the coordinates and we'll be set."

Static was audible where numbers should have been present. Still Yumi pressed on.

"What was that? Speak louder. Did you say nineteen degrees west?"

* * *

Jin almost had to cover his ears to protect them from the high decibel levels Jeremie had raised his voice to get his message across.

"No Yumi, _seventy-nine_ degrees west. _Seventy-nine degrees west!_ Listen, the rats have invaded the city, so you have to act quickly."

Jeremie frowned with uncertainty as Yumi hung up.

"I take it my sister is subbing in for you on computer duties?" Jin asked, still keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Jeremie ignored the question. "We need to head over there now."

The two boys picked up their pace and ran to the factory. Talking for any longer would just prove to be a waste of time.

* * *

"Ulrich, Odd, the two of you will be headed to the desert region."

The roommates nodded. The gesture was a waste of energy as their female friend could not have seen it, yet leaving her statement unacknowledged would feel quiet awkward. Regardless, the two stepped into the scanners.

"Transfer—Odd. Transfer—Ulrich."

It dawned on the two warriors that Yumi's voice lacked the conviction and drive that normally characterized Jeremie's when he announced those same commands. Perhaps she too was feeling the pressures of XANA's attack, but in a different way.

"Scanner—Odd. Scanner—Ulrich."

One thing was consistent though and that was the factory's technology. It whirled, spun and buzzed like it did before; bridging the gap between their world and Lyoko.

"Virtualization!"

* * *

Two seconds. That was how long it took for Odd's legs to recover from the shock of his landing. He couldn't remember when exactly he took an acute interest in how quickly his body recovered from physical trauma. Sure such trivia would never win him any bonus points in a game of Trivial Pursuit, but the mental exercise did prevent things from being stale.

"Is everything ok, guys?"

It was so like Yumi to pay extra concern for their condition.

"Well, it's going to take more than bad programming to get rid of me on Lyoko," Odd said with his typical slightly arrogant flair.

Ulrich was less boisterous with his mannerisms, choosing instead to survey the sights the desert region held for him, scoping out anything that might be dangerous.

"Strange," the samurai wondered. "I don't see Aelita around anywhere"

Yumi frantically slapped the side of her head in shock.

"Oh, no! I must have typed in the wrong coordinates. You're too far from her."

"No sweat, we'll just run over to wherever she is. It's not like the exercise is going to kill us," Odd chipped in, still in high spirits.

Ulrich had yet to take his focus off the horizon, as his instincts told him that something was amiss and he should be ready for it. Sure enough, off in the distance he saw a medium size cloud of dust, which got bigger by the second. As time passed, Ulrich was able to pick out the sound of robotic footsteps, and the sight of a pink spot, which contrasted sharply with his dull surroundings.

"Odd! Over there! Look!"

It didn't take much to figure out that the dust cloud was the result of three stampeding crabs, which were more than willing to continue their chase. Aelita welcomed the sight of Odd and Ulrich standing before her, and ended her sprint by sliding on her knees till she was at a complete stop. With them here, she no longer needed to run.

"Glad to see that you made it."

Ulrich was the first to speak.

"Don't worry, Aelita. Your two knights in shining armor are here to protect you."

Sure, the line sounded corny, but it was the best he could come up with to reassure the girl that no harm would come to her. Aelita was found without a scratch on her, yet still, that feeling of dread had yet to pass through Ulrich. Was there something else hidden behind the scenes that had yet to be revealed to him? That's when Odd, too, noticed something strange.

"Hey Ulrich, don't you find it weird that those oversized buckets of bolts have yet to fire a single shot at us or Aelita."

"You're right; you'd think with how persistent they were chasing her they'd start shooting as soon as she stopped moving."

"Then let's start the battle ourselves!"

Odd only managed to take three steps forward before he felt his shoulder being pulled back.

"Hold it...I don't like the looks of this."

"You think XANA has laid a trap for us? Like an ambush or something?"

"Could be. Either way, let's wait for them to make the first move."

The usual dash that was customary for their attacks was foregone for a more calm approach. The crabs watched their two targets stroll toward them. Odd couldn't help but feel as if he was re-enacting an epic scene from a western, given the scenery and the tension in the air that usually accompanied your typical showdown at high noon. All that was needed was the obligatory tumble-weed blowing by and he'd bet set. Then again when it came to heroes Odd definitely topped his own list. Sure Clint Eastwood has got the machismo factor over him but he was able to flip circles around the movie star _and_ look rather fine in purple.

Odd's train of thought returned to the battle. Thinking of Westerns was not going to help save his classmates from all the rats at the school. He was fighting with _Laser Arrows_, not six-shooters, for crying out loud. The effects of his wandering mind were already making themselves apparent. He was so detached from where he was that just the simple act of walking was proving to be difficult.

If only such a simple explanation was true. Once he saw the normally flat desert region tilt itself into a rather steep hill, Odd wished that his mind _was_ playing tricks on him. Ulrich was right: XANA did have something nasty up his sleeve, but it wasn't the crabs who were the first to move… it was Lyoko itself.

* * *

The few times Yumi had glanced over Jeremie's shoulder to look at the super computer during Lyoko battles were the only source of reference she had in determining how things were going. Well, aside from the occasional comments that Odd and Ulrich would direct toward her. Though her knowledge in the source material was lacking, the constant beeping coming from the computer was an obvious sign that things could be going better for the warriors.

"What's going on down there, guys?"

* * *

By now the three had had to resort to crawling on all fours to hold their ground. Their low focal points made the crabs look even more menacing than before. The three beasts marched ahead, undaunted by the changing landscape, which was becoming more and more perpendicular to the virtual abyss.

"I'm not sure myself, Yumi, but things are getting a lot more vertical for us." Ulrich spoke, still trying to keep a clear head.

"I suddenly feel like I'm a piece of garbage on a dustpan being disposed of. Got any bright ideas man?"

The samurai looked up at his enemies with his brow creased. How was he going to both keep his grip and fight the crabs off at the same time?

"Well Odd, once I come up with one, you'll be the first to know."

* * *

"RATS!" Jin yelped frantically.

The rodents' invasion of the city had seeped passed Kadic's borders as their numbers grew. Logically, they convened in the one area that the last two members of the Lyoko Team would need to pass in order to get to the factory, and that was its connecting bridge.

Jeremie stared at the hundreds of beady eyes glaring his way. If someone else were to walk in on this epic standoff, they might have seen Jeremie looking a bit...smug.

"What I wouldn't give for a piece of cheese and a really, really big hammer right about now," Jin pleaded to the heavens.

"I got this."

The flashers were brought into open, one in each hand. With a quick press of a button, night became day, the darkness was lifted and the rats were banished for the time being. Still holding onto the tools he brought over from the library, Jeremie fixed his smug smile so that it faced Jin.

"Dual-wielding camera flashes. I think that was, like you always say, 'John Woo style.' "

Jin was not amused.

"Why do I feel like my role as your bodyguard has been diminishing, what with all the times you've upstaged me in the heroics department?"

"Think of it this way—I might not need you to keep me safe, but at least I've got a friend to keep me company."

"Now that was just real sappy of you. I just hope all of this physical pain that I've endured will be for something worth while," he deadpanned.

* * *

The floor's angle shifted another few degrees until it stood upright, so as to dump the three teenagers into the virtual sea. With Aelita engulfed in the abyss and unable to escape, XANA would be free to reign. The plan was so deceptively simple that success was guaranteed. Isolate Jeremie from the factory, forcing someone else with little technical skills to man the computer. Then, once all of his enemies were bunched together in a neat little group, dispose of them like the filth they are. With the last phase completed, all that was left was to relish in his victory.

Unfortunately for XANA, what he didn't account for was one girl's refusal to give up.

* * *

Music coming from an angelic voice filled the air while threads of data protruded from the rocks, filling in with hard granite and forming several platforms from the wall's surface…platforms that they all landed on, rather harshly knocking the wind out of them.

Odd shook the cobwebs out of his head and took a deep breath to fill his lungs, which had been so wrongfully robbed of their precious oxygen. He didn't bother to time his recovery rate.

"Nice save, Aelita, but next time can you form a few mattresses as well?"

"Never mind about that, we have bigger problems to deal with," Ulrich interrupted.

Even when the floor was completely vertical, the crabs had no problems with scaling down the environment in order to engage the targets that they were ordered to eliminate, but things were different now. For one, Odd and Ulrich were able to stand on their own two feet again and had recovered from the mental shock of XANA's region tilting. Still though, they were outnumbered and had lost the high ground. This fight was not going to be easy.

"Cover Aelita; she's lost too many life points. I'm going to draw their attention away from you guys."

The friends resorted to their classic battle strategy, which resulted in Odd being the decoy and Ulrich playing clean up. Tried and tested multiple times, it proved to be a simple but effective tactic on Lyoko. The purple clad boy wasted no time in approaching the crabs utilizing the smaller stones that jetted from the wall as handholds, looking for a platform that was at the same level as the mechanical minions. Like an accomplished gymnast, Odd swung his legs forward gaining more height with each movement till he was able to leap to the adjacent rock that allowed him to stand upright. Taking a few precious milliseconds to catch his breath, he focused his sights on the trio of monsters and readied his wrist to stare face to face with one of them. His little wall climb did not go completely undetected like he had hoped.

"Laser Arrow!"

Though he said the singular version of the attack, multiple darts were released from his wrist. The crab that spotted him was quick enough to return fire. Laser Arrows met laser beams in the air canceling each other out and leaving behind a shower of sparks. In the end, the arrows won the clash and struck home, knocking the robot off balance before it exploded.

"One down!"

The remaining two crabs would not accept the loss sitting down, and began to unload their weaponry on the cat-boy as if to avenge their fallen comrade. The beams of red light were emitted from the center of their glowing white eyes in steady streams tearing through the landscape and Odd's virtual body.

"Get out of there Odd!" Ulrich yelled over the sound of laser fire.

Odd, on his part, was curled up in the smallest position possible so as to make himself harder to hit, but no matter how tight he contracted his body, he was still a motionless target, and therefore easy to hit. His fight or flight instincts were choosing the latter option and he began to make his getaway. The easiest thing to do was to drop back down, but that would defeat the entire purpose of him being the decoy, as he would end up standing next to Aelita. The only thing he could do now was climb. His body leapt through the gaps in the laser fire and grabbed onto the nearest ledge that his arms could reach. Gloved hands met rock and he was now a few feet higher than he was before. Already the crabs were adjusting their aim; Odd watched the area around him being blasted to bits, revealing the green lines of data that ran underneath Lyoko's sandy surface layer. A burning sensation was felt in his hands and then he was falling. The lasers still came and did not miss this time.

When he awoke, he was inside the scanner… out of breath, and out of Lyoko.

* * *

Five more minutes of watching her friends' life points shrink and Yumi would have resorted to biting on her own fingernails to deal with the stress. It was amazing that Jeremie was able to put up with all of this on a constant basis with no easy outlet for the pent up frustrations. At least they had monsters they could beat up on Lyoko.

The elevator opening was a welcome sound to hear meaning that the others had arrived in one piece.

She listened in to hear what the two were talking about as the stepped outside and managed to catch the tail end of their conversation.

"...and get your head bandaged. I can't have you bleeding over the factory. I thought that you would be afraid of the stuff being hemophobic and all."

"Aiya, get your facts straight! I only get scared when _other_ people bleed."

Jeremie sighed as winning this argument would be of little use to him and directed his attention to Yumi.

"How are things going?"

"Real bad. Odd has just been devirtualized and Ulrich hardly has any life points left."

"Then it's time for you to head on over there to help."

Yumi was relieved to pass the computer into more capable hands. She couldn't wait to alleviate some of the anxiety she had felt while in front of the super computer.

"I'm glad to hear that. Aniki, you're coming, right?"

A string of inaudible dialogue came from his mouth that almost sounded as if he was speaking in the tongue of their homeland.

"That I am," Jin grumbled in a sarcastic tone. "I get the feeling that I'll be much safer in Lyoko than out here. If I stay in the real world any longer a grand piano will drop on me given my bad luck."

"Then let's head to the scanners."

* * *

The sound of the rats' chattering was getting louder, meaning that they were getting closer to the science building's rooftop. Ever since the Weirdo Bunch's departure, the other students had lost the initiative to act and were reduced to cowardly huddling in the corner farthest away from the door. Well, all of the students except one.

His name was Clayton Mil, age fourteen. A former delinquent in the classroom, his reputation among the teachers of Kadic was slowly healing as he started getting good grades and curbing his rebellious edge. His hood drawn over his head and a lunch tray firmly in his grasp, he stood alone in the middle of the rooftop, acting as the last line of defense for the fearful students.

"Clayton, you gigantic idiot!" Dirk hollered. "You're not going to be much of an enforcer if you're reduced to a mangled corpse. Now get the heck back here!"

Rebecca, too, was taken back by his total disregard for his own safety. But instead of using Dirk's commanding tone she opted to resort to reason.

"Dirk's right. There's not much you can do. You saw how many rats are in the school; you'll get eaten alive."

Clayton did not bother to turn around to face the two.

"Dirk, you did say that Ulrich and his friends know something that we don't right?"

"Yes, I did."

"If anyone is going to save our hides it's those guys; the ones who KO'd us in the forest. I have faith that they'll pull through and solve this humongous mess. In the meantime, if I can buy them some more time by bashing a few rat skulls in, then so be it."

"Clayton," Dirk and Rebecca said softly, impressed with his conviction.

"Alright, you sewer dwelling rodents. You want a war? I'll take you to war! Let's go!"

* * *

Block.

That's all that Ulrich could do. The crabs were getting closer and their rate of fire was increasing. Keeping Aelita safe was his top priority, and he would do whatever it took to make sure she did not lose another life point. Sometimes he intercepted a laser with his sword. Sometimes it was with his body as a meat shield. It was getting harder to concentrate the longer the ordeal dragged on. There were just too many beams of get rid of. Was this all he had to offer? Stand still and swing a sword in the air. There had to be more. There just had to be.

The crab leading the charge touched down on the platform he occupied and stood just a few feet away. Ulrich knew that his life point total was abysmal but he still was going to take the offensive. Just like Odd, this maneuver was do-or-die. Either he was going to put this thing out of its misery, or he was going to fail trying; he was going to let chance decide the outcome. Placing everything he had in this one attack, Ulrich sprung forward with his sword aimed at the crab's center, completely ignoring the lasers that came his way.

Sword hit metal, projectile hit virtual flesh.

Ulrich was knocked backwards violently, leaving not even a scratch behind his opponent. His physical presence could no longer remain and disintegrated into a thousand white pixels before disappearing completely.

Alone on Lyoko, face to face with two crabs primed to fire. It was a situation that she had feared from the start. However, despite facing such dire consequences, her faith in her friends remained strong… so strong, in fact, that it prevented her neutral expression from being contorted by fear. There were three people left who could still help her, and they would do their very best to make sure that they did not let her down.

"Aelita!" Jeremie screamed out. "Hang on, help is on the way."

"Yo! Bolts for brains!" Jin's taunting voice was heard, confirming the fact. "Just stay where you are while we come down there!"

* * *

The twin siblings stared down the cliff's edge, both with their weapons drawn.

"Ready, Aniki?"

She saw her brother partake in his familiar ritual of cracking his knuckles before he did anything daring.

"Of course. Let's rock!"

Yumi was the first one to jump, performing the perfect swan dive keeping her body straight so that it would be easier to aim. The gigantic XANA eye painted on top of the crab was the bull's-eye.

"HIYAAAAAAA!"

All her frustrations, all her fury went into her one fan, making the sight of the exploding crab all the more satisfying. The deed was finished as simply and elegantly as possible. Jin was far more complex with his movements but no less intense.

"Psycho Crusher!"

The gunman, too, was quite serious when it came to rescuing Aelita. Laser blasts flew by his spinning form harmlessly as he began to pick up speed. Soon, the bullets came crashing down, falling from the sky as if it were raining lead from clouds illuminated by muzzle flashes. The crab's body was ripped to shreds.

"You can thank M. Bison for teaching me that move!"

Yumi had caught up to her brother so that she was falling next to him as she had an important warning.

"Aniki, shouldn't you be paying attention to where you're falling? Everyone knows you're not too keen on landings."

His sunglasses hid his shocked expression, which revealed itself for only a second before returning to his normally brash state.

"Listen Yumi, I've already had my head pulverized three times today. I'm not so dense that it will happen a—GAH!"

Not bothering to see where he was falling, Jin smacked into one of Aelita's platforms at breakneck speed, landing on the right side of his face. On the other hand, his sister managed to land safely beside Aelita and flashed a reassuring smile to let her know that everything was alright. Two seconds later, the faint traces of momentum that lingered in Jin's body caused him to slump over the edge and land face up between the two girls.

"Argh! Jeremie, can you virtualize me a gigantic Advil? My head is killing me!"

Jin made his plea all while thrashing on the ground violently, managing to irritate his injury even more. Yumi looked up at Aelita and shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't worry about him, Aelita; he always gets hurt. Just go and deactivate the tower."

She nodded and disappeared into the walls of the black and white structure.

* * *

The blue rings glowed and chimed to welcome her presence and aid her ascent to the tower's second level so she could gain access to the controls. Once she entered in the familiar set of commands, XANA would be thwarted for another day. Bringing up the blue holographic screen, she went to work.

* * *

AELITA

* * *

The rooftop's door expanded and rang as if being possessed by a demon, being restrained only by its crude lock. The students feared that any second now its old hinges and bindings would give way and the rats would roam free to wreak their havoc on the students of Kadic Junior High. Three more violent shoves later, their fears would come true. The lock broke, and the door swung open.

That second was now.

* * *

Clayton was acting beyond all means of sanity. Yet he still followed through with his choice. This wasn't an act of great justice or a noble call of duty. The rats ticked him off plain and simple, and that was all the justification he needed. This was going to be one brawl he would thoroughly enjoy, though not alone. Someone else had invited himself to the occasion and Clayton didn't have to look in order to confirm his suspicions.

"Curse your idiocy. It must be contagious."

* * *

LYOKO

* * *

The clash of man versus beast never happened, for the combatants froze in the air like statues made of flesh. Somewhere in a forgotten factory, a boy pressed down on his keyboard and recited his familiar line.

"Return to the past! Now!"

* * *

Peace had once again been restored to Kadic, back in the familiar confines of the library. The group of five sat in close proximity to discuss the one problem that that return to the past did not fix. Yumi was the first one to begin this line of questioning.

"By any chance did you figure out a way to flunk the test?"

"Well now that I already know what questions they are going to ask, it's going to be a lot easier getting them wrong," Jeremie explained. "Besides, I have a foolproof way on making sure that I stay here at Kadic."

"And that would be?"

"I'll be getting all of my answers from Odd."

The group, minus one purple clad boy, shared in a hearty laugh at the clever joke Jeremie had just cracked.

"Real funny, guys, but just wait and see. I might surprise you all with how smart I am."

"Suuuuuuuure," Ulrich agreed sarcastically.

Jin leaned over, as Odd was seated next to him.

"Remember Odd, just write Chuck Norris as your answer for every single question and you'll do fine."

"Don't you have some Street Fighter combos to research?"

"Nope."

Jin pulled out a different strategy guide than he had had before, this one being much thicker than his previous piece of reading.

"I feel like going 3-D today. Once I practice my ground game and learn how to buffer, my Brian Fury will be unstoppable..._unstoppable I tell you!_"

Jin took one last glance at the library, prepared to read until he saw a sight that caused him to forego that activity.

"On second thought, I'll save that for later. There's something else I need to take care of."

* * *

Rebecca finished putting the finishing touches on her latest picture, starring Felicia, the catgirl that she would frequently draw on the back of her hand. It clearly had to be one of her best works yet: the clothing, pose and tiny fish in the girl's mouth really made the picture come alive, especially with the vibrant yellow color she had chosen to fill the spaces with.

"There, done and _done_. All I need is a name and I'm set."

"And here I thought Felicia was only a Darkstalker."

It was just like Jin to start conversations randomly in contexts he knew nothing about.

"Yep, I thought it was only fitting to draw her somewhere that would be a bit more permanent. Don't you agree?"

"That I do. So I take it you're looking for a title for it then. Mind if I help?"

"Sure, though I gotta ask why."

Jin smiled at the inquiry. He couldn't really tell her that she helped saved his life during the XANA attack when he crashed his bike. A good deed like that wasn't going to go without some word of thanks, even if the participant was not aware of their heroics.

"Let's just say I owe you one and leave it at that."

She wasn't really the type to probe deeper into people's reasonings, so she let the issue rest.

"Quick, name a song."

"Uhhh..."

Several titles raced through his mind that all deserved to be mentioned in this exchange of ideas. He decided to go with the choice that was still fresh in his mind, an old song from the nineties that was used in one of his favorite music videos of all time.

"Virtual Insanity?"

The name was uttered as if it were a question, but Rebecca took it anyway.

"Then it's decided, this picture's title will be 'Virtual Insanity'. Hey, I kinda like the sound of that. Thanks Jin."

"Naw, I should be thanking you."

END

* * *

**Outtakes**

A strange pang developed in the pit of Mr. Delmas' stomach as the exact rationale of why this specific date was forgotten.

"Hopefully he will fair better than our last candidate."

Mr. Simone then had a flashback of that dreadful day. The test was so ridiculously easy that even a child could have passed it. Once he saw the exam ahead of time he knew that his candidate was going to ace it for sure. All he had to do was place the square block through the square hole and vice versa with the circle block. At first the test subject reversed the order, jamming the square peg into the round hole, which caused the psychologist's heart rate to rise, but what was truly embarrassing was that he continued to make the same mistake for over five hours before finally smashing the object through the opening with a gigantic sledgehammer he somehow managed to smuggle past security.

Mr. Delmas knew that his colleague was remembering the incident and decided to speak.

"So, have you learned from your previous mistake?"

"Yes I did sir. That was the last time I ever pick any transfer students from Jersey."

* * *

"Think of it this way. I might not need you to keep me safe but at least I've got a friend to keep me company."

"Now that was just real sappy of you. I just hope all of this physical pain that I've endured will be for something worth while," he deadpanned.

"Oh it will," Jeremie said with a grin that foreshadowed criminal intent.

_Two months later_

The Ishiyama family sat comfortably in front of the television just in time to catch the climax of their favorite TV show. The host approached the studio audience with an envelope in his hand and a huge grin on his face.

"Ok, folks, your votes are in. The award for funniest home video goes to...Jeremie Belpois for "Clumsy Japanese Kid!" Roll the clip!"

Broadcast on national television was a montage of all of the accidents Jin had suffered through during his induction as a Lyoko warrior: falling down the staircase, losing his grip on the fire hose, crashing his bike, being blind sided by a heavy door, etc. All of these were dubbed with dopey voices and cartoon sound effects to make the scenes appear less violent and more on the humorous side. The other members of the Japanese family just laughed themselves silly along with the entire viewing audience as if to celebrate the boy's "stardom."

"Jeremie better not spend all of his prize money in one place, 'cuz he's going to need a coffin after I get my hands on him!"

Jin rose to his feet with a vengeful looking at the general direction of Kadic Junior High ready to show his friend his "appreciation." Right when he made his way out of the door, his young form was crushed by a giant piano.

"Hey Jeremie, did you get that?" Ulrich yelled. His hands were a bit tired from holding the rope that had kept the instrument suspended in the air so long. He saw his friend emerge from the bushes with a video camera in his hand looking rather pleased.

"Good job man. Thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it, just remember that I get a cut of the prize money next time."

"Of course you will, and maybe this time we'll save a few hundred to pay for Jin's hospital bills. He is our star after all."

Jin could only respond with a few painful screams and a couple of bad sounding piano cords just like on Looney Tunes.

* * *

Then again when it came to heroes Odd definitely topped his own list. Sure Clint Eastwood has got the machismo factor over him, but he was able to flip circles around the movie star _and_ look rather fine in purple.

Those thoughts stuck with him even after the attack was averted, up until he was surfing through the channels on TV. His eyes literally bulged out of his head once he saw what was on the screen.

There, in a made-for-TV movie, stood Clint Eastwood in a purple cat outfit complete with tail, holding some generic bad guy by the collar.

"I know what you're thinking: 'Did he have nine Laser Arrows or ten?' Well, I don't think you have enough life points to answer that question so I ask you this...do you feel lucky? Well do you? Punk?"

It took every ounce of strength in his body to resist the urge to vomit on the spot."

* * *

Alright folks, time for some more fan-made outtakes. This chapter's installments come to you compliments of my beta-reader Ari Rockefeller. All of them have to do with the episode Seeing is Believing, and I hope you all get a good kick out of them.

* * *

**TAKE 1:**

By now, concertgoers were piled against the stage. Right smack in the middle of his verse, Jin staggered backward under the force of an unopened liter bottle of soda, which struck him on the side of the head. He was knocked off his feet, which interrupted the band for just a second. In the next, Jin dove off the stand and towards the guy in the audience who threw the bottle at him. The music stopped, and everyone watched as Jin beat this guy in the audience senseless.

Yumi and Jim eventually separated the two, with Yumi speaking to her brother in Japanese. Though no one knew what they were saying, chances are she was concerned for his safety, considering the kind tone of her voice.

Jin grabbed Yumi's mic and shouted something in Japanese. Then he switched to a language everyone could understand. "You know what," he started, "because of this lame-ass security, I'M GOING HOME!" And he spiked the mic on the stage and stormed off.

* * *

**TAKE 2:**

Backstage, before the concert, Milly and Tamiya managed to get what they called "an exclusive interview" with the Pop Rock Progressives. As usual, Tamiya had her camera trained on Mille and the band. Jin was closest to her, so she spoke to him first.

"Greetings!" she started. "Milly Solovieff here, with an exclusive interview with the Pop Rock Progressives, who will be taking the stage in just a few short minutes." She decided to have some fun with this next part. "So, Jin...there have been rumors flying around on the Internet and such...isn't it true at your last concert you whacked someone over the head with a microphone stand?"

Jin was gonna have some fun with this too, but to the casual viewer, it looked completely un-staged. "END OF INTERVIEW," Jin said sharply. He then walked off, his other band mates following him.

"What? Why?" Milly asked.

He was out of frame, but the mics could still pick him up, to a degree. "Because you'll be the next!" he shouted. The camera followed the band for a second, the image blurring. Then, it turned back to Milly.

"Is there any hope of the band staying together?" she said with a chuckle. The camera went back to Jin, who was leaning against a door frame with his arms folded.

"Oh, sod off," Jin grumbled. Before he walked off, he blew a loud raspberry with the aid of the back of his hand.

* * *

**TAKE 3:**

_On a Monday, I am waiting...  
On a Tuesday, I am fading..._

Yumi froze. At one point, there was a slight miscommunication between the technical chief – Jeremie, in this case – and the band. The song that was being played through the speaker system wasn't sung in Yumi's voice...nor was it being sung by Yumi...

"Jeremie! Wrong song! You're playing the wrong song!" the house mics picked up.

Jeremie shrugged and tried to get the right song on his computer, but the only thing that happened was his computer locked up and the same note started skipping repeatedly.

Her face was beet red, and people in the audience openly laughed, while others openly chanted, "YOU SCREWED UP! YOU SCREWED UP! YOU SCREWED UP! YOU SCREWED UP!"

Yumi was mortified, and hastily made her retreat from the stage.

* * *

**TAKE 4:**

_I like it, I'm not gonna crack...  
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack...  
I love you, I'm not gonna crack...  
I kill you, I'm not gonna craaaaaaack..._

Sensing that the song was just about over, Jim decided to show off just a bit. After hitting a particularly long note on his trombone, he locked the slider in place, and then tossed it straight up above his head. The trombone got a good ten feet above the stage. He would've caught it, but a loud, ear-splitting riff from Odd and his guitar drew his attention for just half a second—enough time for the trombone to come down and strike Jim right in the head, causing him to stagger and fall flat on his back.

Bedlam ensued. Mass cheering followed.

Nick struck first, standing up, kicking the stool out from under him, and kicked and swung wildly at his drums, knocking most of them over.

Odd ripped the strap off his guitar, wound up, and slammed it as hard as he could against the stage, shattering the base. He then grabbed what was left of the neck, ran, and slammed it into one of the speakers.

Ulrich grabbed his keyboard, kicked the stand away, raised it up, and with a loud hell, slammed it over his knee, shattering the keyboard and sending plastic black and white keys in every direction.

Yumi slammed her mic into the stage repeatedly, smashing the device and generating some feedback that few people noticed over their loud cheering. Jin grabbed his mic stand and harpooned another set of speakers.

All the while, after dispatching of his drum set, Nick grabbed one of the working mics and started yelling into it.

"HI, AXL!" he said, over and over again. "HI, AXL! HI, AXL! HI, AXL! HI, AXL!"

* * *

**TAKE 5:**

"WE LOVE YOU, KADIC ACADEMY!" Jin shouted. "GOODNIGHT!"

Some students, such as Herb, were still being passed around above the crowd as the concert came to a close. Just before they all joined together to gracefully bow out, they saw Nick spraying his drums with lighter fluid. Only the band members knew what he was doing…and it would be a huge surprise to the audience.

And what a surprise it was. Nick lit a match, struck it against the rest of the matches in the book, and threw the flaming debris onto his drums. With a loud FWOOSH!, the entire set went up in a blaze of glory. The audience, who wasn't expecting it (as they thought) saw the burning surprise and stared at the flames, entranced.

Many of these same students were holding other students above their head...students such as Herb. "Whoa..." They all forgot that others were crowd surfing, and paid little mind to the thuds and moans of pain that accompanied them hitting the ground. But then, they started cheering again.

By the way: The references used were as follows:

Take 1 - Guns 'N' Roses  
Take 2 - Sex Pistols  
Take 3 - Ashlee Simpson's Performance Botch of the Century™  
Take 4 - Nirvana at the MTV Video Music Awards  
Take 5 - Green Day (from a concert I was attending)

* * *

**Notes from the Author**

Yes folks, I am not dead...just busy and preoccupied with other things so please don't kill me or else you'll never get any answers to the questions you've all been asking.

Well another day another long chapter from me. Though this did very little in terms of progressing the story, I tried to make this latest installment important in a different sense, which would be to reclaim the old feeling of the Retelling Series. A sort of "back to basics" if you will. Here you have all the classic moments: witty Odd remarks, slight Yumi and Ulrich romantic overtones, Jin being a tremendous klutz and of course Dirk and Clayton being their evil selves. I felt as if the Troublesome Duo was becoming a bit too soft and I wanted to remind all you readers that they guys are not the friendliest students to meet. I swear, after I wrote Tempo Rubato, quiet a few female readers expressed their wishes on how they would have loved to be in Grace's shoes when she glomped our favorite grumpy Korean.

Now I'm sure some of you are wondering who on Earth Rebecca is so let me explained. A looooooooong time ago, I held a Retelling fan art contest on my website and DA page where the theme was to draw the characters of the Retelling Series but of the opposite gender and the winner got to have their ACC appear in one of my chapters. The huge amount of submissions floored me and in the end artist SylentNyte won out and she created Rebecca for me to use. I only have the intention of using her like a one-shot character from CL, think in the same light as Theo where their presence was noteworthy in a single episode but they did not impede on the story's progress overall. I hope I accomplished this with Rebecca and if I didn't please tell me as I have three other ACCs I need to write as well and I want to get this right. Many of the drawings the character worked on in the chapter are actually submissions in SylentNyte's deviantART account.

I think it would be appropriate for me to talk about Clayton here. For the longest time he's been a supporting character who's motivations had yet to be undefined. I thought it would have been good to showcase his more aggressive side to give a sort of reference on the type of person he is as I always felt like he was the least developed Retelling ACC and it was about time he had the spotlight for a good chunk of time. Oh yeah, a hundred awesome points to anyone who recognizes all the movie quotes he used while kicking butt.

Well that's all I have to say, thanks for reading this ridiculously long chapter and thanks for sticking through this story despite the lack of updates. Special thanks goes to Ariand CreatorWorks1987 for cleaning this baby up and I hope to read your comments soon.


	19. Intermission Part 5

**Disclaimer **

Code Lyoko is not mine, but soon your soul will be BWAHAHA...oops did I say that out loud?

**Special Thanks**

To my wonderful beta reader, Ari Rockefeller. You guys should really thank this dude on account he has to put up with me on an almost daily basis.

* * *

**Special Notes**

The following chapter is presented in _Scream-O-Vision_, a revolutionary new way to present fanfiction. If you see the following words on your computer screen...

(_Scream_)

Please scream as loud as you can. Don't worry about anyone else listening. Everyone should know by now that you're all fans of the Retelling Series, which is more than enough evidence for one to plead insanity. What this means is that you can cause all the commotion you want as people will just shrug it off as yet another set of ramblings from a crazy person. Ok, let's practice.

(_Scream_)

To those of you out there who did scream, great job! And to those who stayed quiet, for shame you cowards! With that said, enjoy the chapter.

**Warning**

G-Force is not responsible for any physical and mental damages that might occur through the use of _Scream-O-Vision_. We can not guarantee your safety and if you do get in trouble with others because of this, then it serves you right for being foolish enough to take advice from a fanfic.

* * *

Intermission (Original Side Story) Another (Belated) Code Lyoko Halloween...the Sequel 

The internal works of Lyoko were ablaze with activity. As the various personal of the virtual world scurried to and fro to prepare for their next meeting, two high-ranking officers decided to have a coffee break at that moment completely ignoring the chaos that was around them.

"Sooo...how do you feel with what has happened so far?" the first individual asked.

"I dunno Anderson, I mean expanding into the net was a good call from XANA, but I just feel a bit uneasy with all the changes."

"Chill out…uh…" The first officer took a quick glance at his partner's name tag. "Thomas, you worry too much."

"Well, it's just that I feel like we can't win out in the end. I mean, we _are _the bad guys you know. People like us never win in the movies."

"Now you're just being naive. That's just a gross overstatement. Look at _Star Wars_. First, the rebels won by blowing up the Death Star. Then, in _Empire Strikes Back,_ Darth Vader returned three times stronger and gave the heroes a good solid butt-kicking."

"I fail to see how Luke getting his hand chopped off and Han Solo being frozen in carbon relates to us."

"Don't you see man? That's our story in a nutshell. First those bratty kids won by materializing Aelita. Now we won by having complete access to the internet. I'll tell you Thompson, things will be real easy for us for now on."

"Wait, you only mentioned the first two movies of the original trilogy. What about _Return of the Jedi_? You know…where Luke Skywalker becomes a super skillful Jedi and comes back with a vengeance?"

"Uh...well ummm," now at a loss for words, Anderson quickly looked for another topic to discuss. "Say, isn't XANA coming back from his trip today?"

"Yeah, something about a meeting with the 'Council of Evil'. Maybe that's why everyone is in a state of panic."

"Hey, guys! XANA is baaaaaaaaack!" came a loud booming voice from the room's entrance.

(_Scream_)

With that one greeting the room had cleared of all the passers by leaving behind the military personnel behind so that the meeting could begin. The two officers who were once slacking now stood at attention as they didn't want their superior to see them in such a compromising position.

"Soooo, XANA…" Anderson said while quickly putting his coffee cup away. "See anyone really cool at the big meeting?"

"Oh, the usual…Lord Zedd, Megatron, The Hands of Blue, Darth Vader, The Wicked Witch of the West, Magneto, various members of Organization XIII, you know…real lively folk."

"So what did you guys talk about?"

"Same old, same old. Taking over the world, holding hostages, making sure you explain your evil plans to the hero in explicit detail so that they can be stopped with only five minutes of the episode left."

"Ah."

By now XANA had positioned his formless body so that it "stood" at the head of the gigantic oval table bringing an air of professionalism to the meeting.

"Now I heard from a very reliable source that you guys tried to stage an attack on Earth while I was away. How did that go?"

Thompson stood up from his chair holding a stack of papers.

"Well, we decided to go a different route and tried something new. Instead of possessing a human or machine, we managed to gain control of a large number of poisonous snakes. Then, in order to keep the attack under wraps, we had them sneak into an airplane to wreck havoc on the passengers. The incident was isolated and Jérémie didn't even know we were at work."

"What a marvelous idea guys! How come I was not informed of your success?" XANA asked excitedly.

"Well…the problem was Samuel L. Jackson boarded that flight as well."

"So, what difference does that make? If the kids didn't go to Lyoko then you should have been able to do what you pleased."

"The thing is sir...the beating that Samuel L. Jackson handed out to the snakes was so bad that the tower deactivated itself."

XANA only winced in pain and said a silent prayer to all the snakes that were lost during the actor's massive rampage in the skies. With the mourning completed, XANA's expression changed to a smirk, which was quiet impressive seeing how he was just a formless back cloud of evil.

"Gentlemen, our luck will soon change. Today is the day we defeat our enemies and taste the fruits of victory!"

He looked at his advisors' confused expressions which was something that he expected.

"Since you boneheads have given us at least over a season's worth of REALLY BAD ideas, I've asked two members of the 'Council of Evil' to pay us a visit and help out with the brainstorming."

The room was alive with chatter after the news. Two distinguished members that served the side of evil were going to be gracing their presence. A few generals even got their notepads as to ask these mysterious benefactors for their autographs.

Imagine the surprised looks on their faces once they saw XANA place a rat cage on the table and released the hinges that held its door shut. Just then two white mice emerged, one had a gigantic round head and was short in stature. The animal eyed his audience suspiciously with a dour look as if he was already analyzing the group showing signs of keen intellect. The same could not be said for the rat that stood next to him. As he scratched the inside of his ear and sniffed the contents that his finger managed to accumulate, it was quiet clear that this particular mouse's IQ totaled in the single digits.

XANA still wore his evil grin.

"Gentlemen, say hello to Pinky and The Brian. Two laboratory mice from ACME, bent on world domination."

"That's _Brain_." he corrected.

Anderson spat out his coffee once he heard the large-head rodent speak.

"Holy cow, a talking rat!"

Brain looked rather annoyed with the statement of such an obvious observation.

"Yes I can talk, you over-caffeinated, blubbering buffoon," The Brain snorted. "My sheer mental intellect surpasses your thinking capacity so severely that it would take several millennia for you to even begin to remotely comprehend the difference."

The officer leaned over to his partner as to whisper something into his ear.

"I think he's really smart. He uses big words like 'difference' and stuff like that."

"Egad, Brain! The guy is a genius as well! He figured out how to drink coffee without burning his tongue," the taller mouse exclaimed.

XANA cleared his throat which ended whatever little spat Brain had managed to spark with his henchmen.

"Shall we begin the meeting then?"

Thomas flipped a switch which caused a giant video screen to appear from the room's back wall. Various pictures of the Lyoko team were displayed along with their general statistics and various notes that were gathered about them during all of their past battles.

"As you know gentlemen, after two straight seasons of attempts, our enemies still pose a great threat to our plans. They have survived everything, from giant teddy bears, the frigid cold and even human possession."

Brain carefully studied the slide and was able to memorize the teenagers' faces right before the next slide was shown. Thomas continued his lecture.

"So far we've been mainly concentrating our attacks on Kadic Junior High where our enemies attend classes. Outside of the large gymnasium and dormitory buildings, the academy itself is just your run-of-the-mill school. Any questions so far?" Thomas saw the thin mouse raise his hand. "Yes Pinky?"

"Is there such thing as the Tooth Fairy?"

Pinky was rewarded with a giant slap to the back of the head, compliments of Brain.

"Please excuse my partner's ignorance but I too have a question for XANA."

XANA was a bit surprised to see that Brain was already asking questions so soon.

"Ask away."

"I'm a bit surprised that your tactic of controlling humans to do your work has failed you. May I inquire about the people you've possessed in the past?"

"Well to the best of my memory we first possessed Sissi, then Jim, Jérémie, a prison convict, lunch lady Rosa, the school nurse and Mr. Delmas."

"I'm beginning to see why your plans always fail XANA."

"Lack of fiber in his diet?" Pinky asked and received another slap to the back of the head. By now the evil computer program was more than intrigued with Brian's diagnoses for his losing streak.

"Eh?"

"Aside from Jérémie, all those people you named were individuals that the Lyoko Team would not hesitate to give them a good beating."

"What are you implying XANA?"

"That you need a change of test subjects. We need to possess a human so loveable, so well-liked that no matter what vile acts of evil they commit, the public would not care."

"What a brilliant idea Brain!" XANA yelled in joy. "But is there a human on Earth that popular?"

Before Brain could think of an answer the TV screen's images was changed to a late night show comedy show which both Pinky and Anderson were huge fans of as they were laughing along with the studio audience watching.

"Would you two morons shut up?!" A perturbed XANA and Thomas yelled in unison.

The two people that the command was issued to froze in place.

"What, do you hate this show or something? I can always change the channel to _Dr. Phil_."

(_Scream_)

The suggestion proved to be so frightful that XANA and the rest of the Council of Evil screamed right along with the Retelling fans who chose to play along with the suggestion. Both Pinky and Anderson were unaffected and returned their gazes back to the television screen and resumed their triad of laughter. Brain was beside himself with anger.

"Pinky, how am I supposed to help XANA take over the world if you keep laughing like that?"

The other mouse looked back at him with a sorrowful look in his eyes.

"I'm really sorry Brain, but whenever I watch this guy, I just can't help but smile and feel all happy inside."

Brain's expression changed, producing both a smile and a cartoonish light bulb to appear over his head.

"XANA, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

"I think so Brain," the formless cloud said hesitantly. "But where in Antarctica are we going to find a birthday clown?"

The smile faded as was replaced with a look of dread.

"Oh dear."

* * *

Mr. Delmas had to remind himself to wipe the drool from his face for the third time ever since the construction team left the gymnasium after installing the school's latest piece of technological equipment. He quivered in his blue button shirt and black slacks in anticipation of turning the device on but remembered that he had to wait for Jim to arrive first as he originally promised. However, maintaining your word was quiet hard when you literally replaced an entire building's wall in favor of installing a gigantic screen TV in the cavity instead. 

Just when Mr. Delmas' hand was hovering over the big red power button on the remote, the sound of a motorcycle engine revving down was heard outside the gym's doors and the man whose attendance was requested entered.

"'_Eyyyyyyyyyy_, Mr. D," Jim said in a laid-back "cool" voice. He was wearing jeans, a leather jacket and had his hair slicked back. "Looks like we got the TV installed right before our big Halloween costume contest."

The school principal smiled at that particular detail.

"That's right, Jim. Since this is the first time we've done something this extravagant, it's only fitting that we display our contest on the big screen as well as to showcase the students' handiwork in high-definition glory!"

Several crickets chirped in the background for Jim's BS detector kicked into overdrive.

"You're just tired of watching the World Cup at some random bar in town right?"

Mr. Delmas bowed his head.

"Yes."

"Still, though, Mr. D, where did you get all the cash for this?"

"Apparently, I received a rather large sum of money in the mail from a company thinking I was Miyazaki on account of my personal appearance. The note attached to it said that I can do whatever I want with it as long as I keep animating…so I chose to buy this TV."

Hearing the origins of his boss's means of acquiring such a large fortune made Jim a bit uneasy.

"Sir, maybe you should give the money back. I mean, those guys are not going to be happy when they find out their check went to the wrong person."

"And watch the new season of _24_ on the small screen? You've got to be joking."

"Good point."

An awkward silence soon followed. Jim decided to try to rekindle the conversation by inquiring about something he saw on the news.

"Did you hear about what happened during Samuel L. Jackson's flight?"

"That I did...poor snakes."

It was time for the chit-chat to end. The remote was brought into view seeing how it was time to enjoy their entertainment splendor.

"Ok Jim, let's turn this baby own and marvel at the wonderful shows daytime television has to offer!"

The button was pressed and the machine came alive with a mechanical hum and a tiny click. The two men watched the sight like excited children up until they saw a singing purple dinosaur singing about how he loved everyone on earth and that they were a big family.

(_Scream_)

After ten minutes of muttering "I'm in my happy place" to themselves, both Jim and Mr. Delmas worked up enough courage to stand up and walk out of the room.

* * *

Odd stared at his own reflection in the mirror fully dressed for Halloween. He had spent days and nights sewing the long red coat and black outfit underneath. The alchemist symbol alone as a chore to sew in itself. Still two things felt didn't suit him right about his choice in character. One, he had to wear his hair down in order to look like the character; and two, there was not an ounce of purple on his wardrobe. This would require some time to get used to. 

"Well maybe I could..." Odd then shook his head violently to drive those thoughts from his mind. "No! Bad Odd! Bad Odd! A true cosplayer does his best to make himself look like the character, not the other way around."

His roommate was in the room as well watching his roommate marvel at his own craftsmanship.

"I still can't believe that you intentionally skipped three days worth of classes all in the name of putting together your costume."

Odd was actually offended by such a comment and quickly spun in place to let his friend now how he was feeling.

"That's because I don't want to have a repeat performance from last year! I made sure that my costume matches my character down to the very last thread. This time, the girls will be looking at _me_ with hearts in their eyes."

"Last year?" Ulrich asked with a puzzled expression. "Oh, that time I went as Tuxedo Mask."

(_Fangirl Scream_)

All of Ulrich's female fans happily complied with letting their favorite Lyoko hero know much they appreciated his sense of fashion that one day. It should also be noted that last year's Halloween marked the largest amount of simultaneous nosebleeds ever recorded in US history. Still Ulrich was unfazed by all the attention he had been receiving

"I'm still worried Odd. You're grades in class are bad enough, do you really think missing school is such a good idea."

"Speak for yourself man. I didn't fail my latest grammar test thinking that the phrase 'I go' was a complete sentence."

Ulrich was not amused by that last comment, choosing to hold back whatever biting remarks he wanted to say.

"Still to answer your question, I'm still keeping in touch with my classes despite the fact I've been missing out on those oh-so-wonderful lectures.

He opened one of the drawers underneath his bad to grab the laptop he borrowed from Jérémie and switched it on.

"I've found this great website that has all the info I need to pass all my classes. It's called _Wikipedia_ and it's the most accurate source of information that I've ever encountered in my life."

"Accurate, eh?"

Such an outlandish claim just had to be tested. Testing the site's accuracy, Ulrich ran a quick search on a subject that he wished to learn more info about and read the entry.

* * *

_**G-Force**_

_One of the most well-known Code Lyoko fanfic writers on the internet. G-Force established himself in the CL web community with his creation of the Retelling Series, which has been praised by fans from across the world. His writing has been called brilliant and he is considered to be a living legend among other Lyoko authors._

* * *

The two boys were stunned with what they read. Blinking their eyes a few times to see if the image in front of them was a part of the physical world, they went over the text once more which yielded the same results. 

"Ooooookaaaaay...maybe _Wikipedia_ isn't as reliable as I thought," Odd reluctantly admitted.

"And this is why we go to class. If you're going to rely on crackpot sites like this, then you're bond to fail."

"Wait!" Came a quick interjection from the blonde boy. He hastily typed a name in the search bar and pressed the return key.

* * *

_**Jin Ishiyama**_

_See article on William Dunbar_

* * *

"Then again, maybe this website isn't as crazy as I thought." 

The conversation considering the overall reliability of Wikipedia would be put on hold for there was a knock on the door.

"You're expecting company?" Ulrich asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes."

The door opened and a girl with strawberry highlights and tanned skinned walked in the room.

"Oh my gosh, Odd you look wonderful! You've really done the character justice. Am I right audience?"

(_Fangirl Scream_)

Again Odd blinked out of disbelief after seeing his girlfriend casually break a Lyoko taboo.

"I thought Jin was the only person who could make jokes about the fourth wall."

She shrugged, "It's an intermission chapter."

"Oh yeah..."

Ulrich kept to himself during the conversation as he was to busy trying to figure out why Samantha suddenly showed up. Knowing full well that the answers would not come to him through self-deliberation, he just simply gave up and asked.

"So Sam, what brings you here?"

"Odd wanted a partner to go on stage with him for the school's costume contest and I happily agreed. Though, he was being very hushed on the details of my character."

"Well that's all going to change now isn't it?"

The sound of her boyfriend's voice was a bit muddled as he was speaking to her from his closet.

"I spent all night yesterday making your costume so I hope you really like it."

Odd emerged from the vertical storage space and handed he girl a wrench. After seeing the prop, her eyes lit up and hugged the boy for his thoughtfulness.

"I can't believe we're going as Ed and Winry!" She practically squealed. "We're going to look so cute together and I bet you we'll be the envy of all the couples out there."

"Winry?" He repeated with a raised eyebrow. "I just need you to hold that for me while I get the suit of armor you'll be wearing."

Seeing Samantha's look contort from utter joy, to frightful shock and finally to anger was truly sight to see. Then again anger was an understatement. Hate-filled rage didn't do the look justice either. Lacking an appropriate adjective to describe Samantha's murderous gaze adequately, Ulrich opted to laugh instead. He was met with two pairs of eyes glaring at him.

"Oh, don't get too comfortable, you forgot about that little bet we made."

Indeed it was a memory that Ulrich wish he forgotten. He did not like what Odd had in store for him one bit. The boy in costume gestured toward a cardboard box.

"Since you lost the last game of _Tetrix Annihilator_ you gotta wear whatever is in that box for the contest today."

He gulped. This Halloween was not going to be very pretty.

* * *

Jérémie followed Aelita's instructions to the letter when he got ready this morning. When he first woke up he discovered a package delivered by her in front of his door that contained a white button shirt and black slacks along with a video camera. He was surprised to see that the clothes fit and was a bit curious on why he received such peculiar directions. The details could be figured out later as he had to get into class. He had just opened the door leading to the school's courtyard when he bumped into someone outside. 

"Ah!"

By now he was searching his mind for an apology for his hastiness. He looked down at the boy he knocked over and saw a very familiar red, white and black outfit and was relieved that at least he didn't run into a complete stranger.

"Sorry about hitting you Jin."

The other person stood up and brushed himself off.

"It's alright."

Something was not right. Though Jérémie was able to recognize the physical form of the older Ishiyama, the voice that came from his mouth did not match. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on.

"William, why are you dressed up as Jin?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's to help me get a date with Yumi."

Jérémie sighed; William's obsession for the girl knew no limits.

"How does dressing up as her brother going to help you out."

"It's all part of me reforming my image. Now I know I'm not the most humble person at this school so I thought I should show everyone that I am capable of humility."

His line of thinking was sound for Jérémie was able to piece together his hidden agenda.

"So by going as Jin, who is by far the most unpopular and humiliating character in our group, you think you can redeem yourself in Yumi's eyes?"

"That's right."

The look on Jérémie's face conveyed the fact that he was worried.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? Ulrich dressed up as Jin two years ago and the experience was not a fond one."

William wore a triumphant smile.

"Ha! Looks like that hot-shot couldn't handle the pressure. I'm sure whatever comes my way I can deal with, no problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Course I'm sure!"

Jérémie bowed his head. Ignorance was indeed bliss. William saw this change in expression and was perplexed.

"What, you feel sorry that I'm going to upstage your friend?"

He shook his head.

"I'm just wondering if you have medical insurance."

"Eh?"

With that confused comment and raised eyebrow, William stared at the area around him as it turned black. Just like in an episode of Looney Tunes a high-pitch wail signaled that something rather large and heavy was falling on the sky.

CRASH!

Jérémie took a few tentative steps toward the wreckage and could only see William's right arm barely breaking the surface of the crushed grand piano that had just flattened his body.

"Still think you can handle having Jin's bad luck?"

"I'll let you know once the internal bleeding stops."

* * *

Yumi tightened the headband around her forehead and looked at herself in the mirror. Her costume this year was a lot simpler than her previous two and she was grateful for this. The Japanese school uniform and red Converse chucks were easy to find and fit her nicely. With her preparations finished, she made a beeline toward the door but not before being stopped by her mom. 

"Yumi!" The older woman called out.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell your friends in the backyard to keep it down? It's hard for me to concentrate with all their screaming."

"Ok."

The walk to the back of the house was a quick one. Her presence was unnoticed by Hiroki whose eyes were glued to the TV where he was planted on the floor playing his favorite video game. Not stopping to warn the young boy of the potential health risk his hobby yielded, she opened the sliding door and saw two men in a fierce exchange of blows and words.

"_Tiger Uppercut!_"

"_Gadoken!_"

"_Tigeeeeerrrrr Raid!_"

"_YAHOO!_"

Yumi cleared her throat in an exaggerated manner as to catch their attention.

"Sagat, Dan, I gotta go to school so can you guys finish this fight somewhere else?"

"Awwww," the muscular man in the pink karate gi complained. "I was about to unleash my level three super taunt."

"Do it somewhere else. My mom can't take any more of your shouting. Plus I'm worried that Sagat might miss a crouching fierce and break something."

The taller of the two combatants crossed his arms across his chest and laughed loudly seeing his opponent being bested by a teenaged girl. The one being laughed at was not too pleased with this development.

"It's on! I saw a playground nearby; we'll take our fight there."

Dan tried to get a quick sucker punch out before leaving but found himself hitting air.

"Try again geek."

Before any more violence could erupt, Yumi quickly pushed the two men off her family's property. This was going to be one weird Halloween indeed.

* * *

A girl in a green tank top and short brown hair squirmed in her seat in utter excitement. The spirit of Halloween energized the students of Kadic Junior High as almost everyone was celebrating the holiday in their own special way. Some made plans to go to the movie theater to see a scary movie, others dressed for the event while the rest marveled at the sites around them. However, no matter what they had planned, no matter who they knew, anyone who was anyone made sure to attend the big costume contest that was being held this year. Indeed, Kadic was alive with excitement. 

This special girl in particular was one of the lucky few who had managed to secure a seat near the stage. This was not attributed to the fact that she was early. No, what got her this prized seat was the giant shuriken she carried and the threatening look she wielded with it.

The chair next to her was alive with activity as well for a small cute white creature plopped itself down to watch the stage.

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" The first girl asked in disbelief as she recognized the life form as the one-hundred and fifty-first Pokémon "I can't believe a Mew is actually sitting next to me."

"Yep, that's what I am and who might you be?"

"I'm Yuffie in her _Kingdom Hearts_ attire but my real name is Chelsea Cloud."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mew."

"Wow, talk about being in character. So you're excited about watching this contest?"

"Of course, I love seeing people cosplay, there's one particular person I just can't wait to see."

Chelsea blushed once she heard Mew's reasoning as she had the same agenda.

"Yeah, me too."

The girls sighed and spoke in unison with hearts in their eyes.

"Ulrich Stern."

Their intentions were one in the same and quickly changed the subject to their favorite soccer player.

"He's sooooooooo cute!" Mew said with a slight giggle.

"And did you remember when he dressed up as Tuxedo Mask? I felt my heart skip a beat on four separate occasions. Am I right audience?"

(_Fangirl Scream_)

Mew's wide eyes blinked after hearing the collective screams of Ulrich's female fans.

"I thought Jin was the only one who could crack jokes about the fourth wall?"

"It's an intermission chapter."

The lights in the gym began to dim as the contest was about to start. Chelsea leaned next to her new friend and whispered one last comment into her ear.

"By the way, I think you're costume is just fantastic."

"What costume?"

Chelsea slowly blinked her eyes as to comprehend the answer.

* * *

Odd, Jérémie and Samantha patiently waited at the gymnasium's entrance for their friends for they were all going to enter the room at the same time. Though the girl was still quiet angry with her boyfriend's choice of character for her, she had grown used to the idea. 

"Say Odd, was there anyone else you were planning to have dress up with us?"

"Well originally Jin was going to be Roy Mustang but we scrapped that idea after he freaked out and kept yelling 'My hand is on fire! My hand is on fire!' It took a total of five hours for us to get him to sit still so that we could put the flames out."

Samantha was shocked after hearing such a story.

"Well at least it was over right?"

"Not really. When the ordeal was done, Jin said that he had a great idea and snapped his fingers which essentially caused the whole thing to start over again.

Instead of engaging in the conversation that was taking place near him, Jérémie was preoccupied with the whereabouts of their group's set of fraternal twins. A flurry of movement was seen at the school's entrance. Wanting a closer look he aimed his camera in that direction and zoomed in and saw a girl in a Japanese school uniform come running toward them.

"Hey, it's Yumi."

Upon arriving toward her destination she skidded to a halt with the aid of her heels and kept her body from falling by jetting her arms to the side.

"Looks like I'm here on time. Where's Ulrich."

A wry grin emerged on Odd's face.

"Let's just say he's getting ready for his next big Halloween debut on stage."

The boys shielded themselves from the brightness that came from all the sparkles that gleamed from Yumi's face as she tried to imagine what sort of outfit her crush would be wearing. At first they were going to inquire about the whereabouts of her brother but opted instead to go inside to preserve their eyesight.

"Alright, three more people entering. There's plenty of room still inside as long as you hurry."

The group of friends was stopped by one of the many teachers that were handling security just so that things wouldn't go out of hand. Odd was quick to notice the man's oversight and made sure to show him the error of his ways.

"Don't forget about me. I'm here too."

The staff member adjusted his glasses and looked in the direction that the voice came from.

"Oh Odd, I didn't see you back there. You're so scrawny that you almost disappeared between Yumi and Jérémie."

Hearing that cursed word caused Odd's eye to twitch but he held his composure as he didn't want to hurt a teacher. The man chuckled at his own comment

"Not to mention that you're not wearing you're usual hair style so it was doubly hard for me to find you. I never realized how short you really are."

"Short?!...I'll show you short!"

Yumi, Samantha and Jérémie watched in shock as the teacher was sent rocketing to the sky compliments of a giant cannon that Odd had managed to form after clapping his hands together. Both of them walked in the gym quickly, not saying a word.

* * *

Mr. Delmas faced his students. As principal of Kadic he was going to make sure he was going to give these children the time of their lives. It was time to get this thing started! 

"Jim, music!"

The gym teacher looked at the elaborate stereo system by his side and simply pounded it with his fist and it began to play. The lights of the room dimmed till only a single spotlight was shown on the stage.

"Welcome everyone to our first ever cosplay contest! This will indeed be a memorable event that we shall all cherish for the rest of our lives. Before we begin, I liked to say that we've chosen a student at random to start this competition off. Would our winner, Jin Ishiyama, come to the stage!"

Suddenly the giant television sparked with life as hundreds of CGI rendered hundred dollar bills fell within the television screen. Loud rap music accompanied the image.

_Here Comes the Money  
Here We Go  
Money Talks  
Here Comes the Money  
Money-Money-Money-Money-Money-Money-Money-Money-Money_

As the female chorus sang the word money in a rhythmic pattern, the gym's doors swung wide open revealing Jin behind them who was shuffling his feet and dancing around. He was wearing a pair of black athletic pants and a baseball jersey that said _Shane-O-Mac_ on its back. The wild movements ceased and he proceeded to walk to the stage where he would take the microphone.

"Alright Kadic, let's get this show on the road! Who's ready for some cosplay?"

A loud roar of approval followed and Jin basked in the glory. For one student watching in the front row, the excitement was too much and he decided to show the speaker how much his announcing was being appreciated.

"Yeah, you tell it like it is! Your rock, William!"

Everyone had to place their hands on their ears to protect their hearing from the loud blaring noise that came from a microphone being dropped on stage.

"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

Before Jin could hand out a Teddygodzilla butt kicking, he was restrained by Jim and carried off stage leaving Mr. Delmas behind to proceed with the show.

"Let's bring out the first contestant...Ulrich Stern!"

The gymnasium was rocked by another loud sound but this time it came from all the females sitting inside.

* * *

It was all coming together. Soon the world would see what kind of plan Odd had in store and he smiled knowing this. 

"Einstein, get your camera ready. This is going to be a historical moment."

It was a miracle that Jérémie was able to comply for the noise level rose to feverish levels. His intuition told him that Odd was up to his scheming ways which caused chills to run up his spine.

* * *

Only Ulrich's silhouette could be seen as he stepped on the stage and the spotlight quickly moved to banish the darkness around him. The first detail that the eager fangirls noticed was that he wore a rather tacky looking Hawaiian shirt that did not compliment his looks at all but the horrors did not end there. On top of the normally handsome boy's head lie a wig with long flowing curly hair which just looked just as out of place as the accordion that he was holding. Aside from the atrocious costume that Ulrich wore, what puzzled those watching him was that he pulled a white note from his pocket and proceeded to read it to everyone. 

"So who wants to hear me sing _Eat It_?"

* * *

A five foot radius around Mew had been cleared on account of giant purple energy field being summoned from the psychic-type Pokémon. Those students who did not want to endure her angry wrath wisely got out of her way. 

"Who's sick idea was it to have our Ulrich goes as Weird Al Yankovic?!"

Chelsea jumped to her feet as well.

"It's G-Force's obviously! I got an idea Mew. Let's take our anger out on his ACC that way he won't try to do anything this crazy ever again."

"Excellent suggestion. The minute I see that rolled up jacket sleeve, I'm going to give that guy a piece of my mind."

Sure enough their wishes were granted and the person they wanted to see stepped into view; well at least the person who looked like him.

"Hello there, girls. I was wondering if you two know where Yumi is sitting..."

Two death glares were shot at William's directions. He could have sworn he saw his life flash before his eyes.

"GET HIM!"

This was clearly a case of mistaken identity and William acted as quickly as he could to avoid a prolonged stay at the city's hospital.

"Wait you've got it all wrong! I'm William!"

The Pokémon and teenaged ninja stopped dead in their tracks after hearing the boy's message.

"That's even worse!" Chelsea shrieked.

"How dare you try to break Yumi and Ulrich up? They could have kissed in season two but you had to show up!" Mew turned her attention to the rest of the auditorium and yelled at the top of her lungs to get everyone to look her way.

"Attention my fellow CL fangirls! If you're upset about William trying to break up Y/U then come over here and show the guy how angry you really are."

Normally the sight of a massive amount of women running at you would be the stuff that dreams were made of but for one William Dunbar, this was a nightmare. Before he knew what was going on, he was laying face first on the hardwood floor with his body covered in bruises.

"Is it...over now?" He asked, the words struggled to leave his lips.

"Not yet."

Just then a piano fell from the heaven's and crushed the Jin imitator's body.

"Now it is."

* * *

His best friend dressed up as a famous parody singer, fangrils screaming death treats toward a fanfic author, William getting crushed by another piano. There was much about this year's Halloween that Odd could laugh about. Though it would be kind of hard to do, on account he was being strangled by his oldest friend. 

"You're going to need to ask Winry to make you some more artificial limbs as you're going to be missing a lot more than an arm and a leg when I'm through with you."

Yumi's grip was broken and was pulled away from the purple prankster through the efforts of his girlfriend. Not wanting to do battle with a giant suit of armor, the Japanese girl ceased her mini triad. It was at this time that Mr. Delmas read off the name of the second contestant.

"Aelita Stones."

This time instead of loud rap music being played the entire room was rocked by an earthquake. The vibrations were large and rhythmic; kinda like...footsteps.

It was only a matter of seconds before the two adults running the show bolted out the door to see what the heck was going on.

* * *

"Oh my," were the only words that could come out of Jim's mouth as he gazed at the life form walking toward the school. 

It was humanoid in appearance and its slim figure was protected by blue armor that reflected the sun's rays. Looking up toward its head revealed that the being only had one gigantic eye though many had to avert their gaze as several necks began to ache from holding their heads at such an unnatural angle.

Jim shuddered in fear for he remembered what happened last year when a blue robot ventured on school grounds.

"Odd, you better not be planning to smash Kadic up with Megas!"

The shorter boy calmly walked up to him as to show that he had nothing to do with this turn of events.

"That's not Megas. That thing is an Evangelion."

"Wait!" Came the man's shocked reaction. "If you're here, then who's piloting that thing?"

The robot's pilot must have heard that question as she opened up her system's com link and spoke in a monotone voice.

"This is Aelita Stones cosplaying as First Child Rei Ayanami, designated pilot of Evangelion Unit 00."

Several people were rudely shoved aside by an over-excited Jérémie holding the camera he was given.

"So cool! So cool!" He kept repeating to himself as he neared the blue robot.

To say that Aelita was dedicated to portraying her character would have been an understatement. No where in his mind did he anticipate the level of quality of costuming as he was seeing. However, as the school's principal he had to enforce the rules.

"Ms. Stones, I can not allow you to have this mechanical beast on our campus. After last year's Megas' incident, we've enacted a strict zero tolerance policy toward all giant robots. Please cease this behavior or else I will have to take drastic action."

"Sorry Mr. Delmas I can not do that. It is my mission to once again destroy the school under the orders of several students of Kadic Junior High. I can not go against their wishes. Besides, rendering Unit 00 is impossible for one such as you as my AT-Field can shield me from any harmful attacks."

Many felt chills run down their spines after hearing such a forceful reply said in such a calm manner but Mr. Delmas was undaunted, staring at the bright orange hexagon field as if it were nothing.

"Jim...toss me my hat."

Before the two men ran outside to inspect what was going on. Mr. Delmas told Jim to grab the cowboy hat he left on the table just incase things got a bit hairy. Though he had no idea about how useful the hat would be, he had a feeling that he would find out soon enough.

Eyes were transfixed on the piece of clothing soaring through the air and into the principal's hands. The hat was a perfect fit on his head but the slight wardrobe altercations did not end there. Those who were watching were further perplexed by the man's actions as he removed a pin from his pocket and attached it to his chest. As quick as lighting, Mr. Delmas roundhouse kicked the AT-Field, which caused it to break like a piece of expensive china.

Yumi's knees quaked in fear. How can someone by the likes of him generate such destructive power? In her state of fearful wonderment, Jin had finally caught up to her.

"Whoa wait," he said as his obscure sense of pop culture kicked in. "Thick beard, police badge, cowboy hat...OH MY GOD! Mr. Delmas is dressed up as Chuck Norris!"

This pivotal piece of knowledge of one of the most powerful beings in the universe was lost on some. One of those being Aelita Stones.

"I do not understand this? The only thing that can negate an AT-Field is another one!"

"That or Chuck Norris's roundhouse kick." Jin interjected.

To prove the boy's point, Mr. Delmas fired off another slicing strike which destroyed the blue Eva's leg and toppled the beast over like a house of cards. Inside the robot's plug, Aelita's survival reflexes kicked in and she quickly engaged the emergency ejection to escape from the mechanical being before she would endure any further damages.

A compulsive urge to rush toward the chaos consumed Jérémie. Aelita managed to work up enough energy to look up enough to have her eyes meet Jérémie's. Time stood still for the teen. The moment was frail, precious and captivating as they were once again reminded her about her own mortality and how much they cared for the boy. She was more than ready to accept the boy's embrace in a moment that would spawn at least fifty J/A fanfics. Of course given the rules of intermission chapters, something humorous and awkward will always occur to disrupt any romantic scenes in the story, this one being no exception.

The blonde computer genius zoomed right past her and instead of cradling her own self, he choose to comfort the badly damaged Evangelion she abandoned, staying true to the character he was dressed up as.

"Unit 00! Hang in there! Please stay strong for all of us. I can't live without you!"

Jim was taken back from what he saw. Only two entries had been called and already the school looked like a war zone. If this will continue, who knows what sort of unforeseen damages can occur in the long run.

"Hey Mr. D, maybe we should cut this contest short," he suggested.

"You will not!" Came Sissi's voice which caught the gym teacher off guard. "You can't end this contest. Not until everyone sees our entry."

Everyone quickly turned their heads away in fear after remembering last year's incident involving Sailor Herb.

"Oh stop that!" Sissi commanded. "We're not in costume yet."

A sound of over one-hundred nervous gulps could be heard.

"Herb, Nicholas, it's show time!"

Each member of the trio held a plastic makeup compact and pressed a tiny button which triggered a lengthy techno-themed transformation sequence. When it was all said and done, the group of three was seen wearing skintight colored spy suits.

(_Scream_)

Reactions to Sissi's choice of series to cosplay were of pain and agony. Seeing Herb in a one piece body suit was so horrible that not even the fanfic writer wish to delve into the details anymore.

"Stop! Stop! Stooooooop!" Mr. Delmas screamed." You're right Jim; this contest is just too dangerous. Here Sissi just take the trophy! You win."

Her eyes lit up like diamonds when she saw the magnificent statue that was being handed to her. This look of happiness quickly contorted to that of anger as a beam of white light melted the award into a pile of yellow goo.

"What the..."

Sissi stared at the direction where the attack came from and saw two boys. One wore a flashy white trench coat and carried a metal briefcase while another wore an outdoor vest and baseball cap.

"I think you're a bit too premature with your decision Mr. Delmas," Dirk said in his usual smug manner.

"As if!" Herb yelled back. "I don't want this thing to go on any longer than it should be. Do you think Nicholas and I actually like wearing these jumpsuits?"

"I kinda do," Nicholas answered back kindly.

Ignoring that rather disturbing comment the smarter member of the gang continued his triad.

"There is no way I'm going to prolong my suffering in order to...'

"Blue Eyes, White Lightning Attack!"

Nothing like a concentrated beam of powerful electrical energy to get your point across.

Again, the tension rose on campus and Mr. Delmas intervened in order to nip the problem in the bud.

"Cease this disruptive behavior Mr. Kap Hwan. My decision is final!"

"I'll give you ten-thousand bucks if you change your mind."

Nothing like bribing your school principal with an insane amount of cash to get your point across.

"On second thought..."

"Hey! That's against the rules!" Sissi shirked.

"Screw the rules. I have money!"

Meanwhile, Clayton was being thoroughly entertained with what was going on though he was getting a bit parched. Reaching for the special water dispenser he carried on his back, the enforcer pressed down on the hose's button and poured himself a drink.

"Now that's some high-quality H2O."

He then turned his attention back to the conversation which was still going on strong with Herb continuing the verbal battle.

"...and another thing what is with your bodyguard over there? He's dressed like a fisherman with a bad taste in fashion."

Some high quality H20 ended up being spit on the floor from that remark. Clayton had always been cursed with having a short temper but mix in who exactly who his character was and things could only get ugly from here.

"Stop making fun of me!"

Both Herb and the school wall he was plowed through could not withstand the mighty force of an angry Clayton.

* * *

XANA eyed the empty seats of the auditorium with a devilish smile. Recruiting The Brain was indeed a smart move. He followed the mouse's words to the letter and found the specific human that he was told to possess quiet easily. Waiting indoors was another wise choice he made as he was spared the trauma of seeing Herb dressed up as a cast member of _Totally Spies_. With these precautions made, victory would be obtained quiet easily. . 

A loud crash came from the wall opposite of him sending debris flying all over the place. The rouge computer looked up just in time to see the student known as Clayton Mil rise to his feet. No longer being able to contain his excitement any longer, XANA immediately let loose with his signature purple lighting bolts in hopes of causing as much damage as he could.

Whatever horrors Clayton was used to in all the James Finson movies he watched paled in comparison to this.

* * *

"AAAAHHHHH!" Clayton shouted as he bolted headlong into the crowd. 

Whatever command Mr. Delmas was going to issue to end the spat between his daughter's group of friends and the other half of the Troublesome Duo was dropped.

"What's going on?"

There was a three second pause for the boy to collect his thoughts.

"Wayne Brady is attacking the school!"

"WAYNE BRADY?!" The entire school echoed.

(_Scream_)

Sure enough, when the droves of students rushed back inside, they saw the famed improv genius shooting off purple streams of electricity in all directions. Mr. Delmas was first to act. He ran toward the comedy star and chambered another explosive kick but stopped short of hitting the man.

"I can't do it! I just can't do it."

Gears began to turn in Jérémie's head and he began to think of thoughts that were not Eva related for the first time that day. It was weird that XANA would go through the trouble of actually taking control of a famous celebrity as opposed to just a random person like he always did. Watching Mr. Delmas abandon his chance to take an offense shed some light on the matter.

"That XANA sure is quiet the mastermind."

The rest of the Lyoko warriors huddled around him. No more playing around, it was time they put their enemy in his rightful place.

"Wait, this isn't just a sick joke he's playing?" Yumi said confused.

"There's no human being in the planet that could bring themselves to hurt Wayne Brady. As long as XANA is controlling him, he's practically invincible!"

A certain possessed comic genius was eavesdropping on the conversation and heard everything Jérémie said word for word.

"That's right you meddlesome teenagers. I've finally got you beat this time. Thanks for gathering in one area so I can take you all out in one blast."

In a blatant rip-off of _Dragon Ball_ Z, XANA aimed the palms of his hands close together and formed a gigantic ball of purple energy.

"Lightning Crusher!"

The projectile flew at the heroes at blinding speeds. The teens held up their arms in an attempt to defend themselves.

"AT Field!"

Instead of an electrical blast the saw a wide hexagon field shape around them compliments of Aelita.

Though she had been successful of delaying XANA's wrath, the immense amounts of mental strain she was feeling was taking its toll.

"Hurry up and think of something. I can't keep the field up for long."

Though not the walking pop culture reference like her brother was, Yumi was still well-vested in the realm of celebrity knowledge and knew a thing or two about how they act under certain circumstances. Even though he was under XANA's control, there was one thing that not even the evil computer program would be able to prevent him from doing if the right stimuli were triggered.

"Mr. Delmas, I need your cowboy hat!"

Quickly, she grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a hastily written note before stuffing it inside the piece of clothing.

"Hey Wayne Brady! You like to cause scenes don't you? Well here's a scene I'd like to see you pull off."

The improv star stared curiously at the girl as she reached inside the principal's cowboy hat and read what she wrote seconds ago.

"Ways to stop XANA from possessing people."

"DARN IT!"

Though his powers in the physical realm were unchallenged, they could not break the supreme rules of_ Scenes from a Hat_. XANA was forced to relinquish his control of Wayne Brady and use the backup body he had just incase things turned out for the worst.

"This battle is far from over!" He taunted his mortal enemies.

"That's what you think XANA!" Jin snapped. After being mistaken for William once, the Japanese boy was itching for a good brawl.

It was time for XANA to employ his most effective strategy.

"Wait, I'm not XANA! This is all a mistake."

"As if I'm going to fall for that same trick twice."

"I'm serious, see look at the shirt I'm wearing. I'm really not XANA."

Jin read the writing printed on the white fabric. "_Really not XANA_..." he looked up in amazement. "Well I'll be darned."

Ulrich smacked his forehead with the palms of their hands.

"What an idiot! Do you believe everything you read?"

"But Ulrich look at him. He's _really _not XANA. The shirt doesn't lie."

The other boy sighed. "Never mind."

Not everyone was being affected by Jin's stupidity. Those watching from the sidelines used the break in order to plan for the upcoming battle. In fact, the lapse in the oldest member's intelligence proved to be quiet the asset as now XANA was preoccupied in maintaining his lie as opposed to destroying his surroundings.

Jérémie spoke in a low voice. "Here's the plan. We have to keep XANA busy in order for us to get to Lyoko and deactivate the tower."

Another mischievous smile spread across the features of Odd's face.

"I got a great idea! Follow me Sam."

The couple left as hastily as the command was given. Jérémie continued with the planning session.

"We need to get up close and personal with XANA but the minute Aelita drops her AT-Field..." He released a small fanboy scream as he was in awe of the girl's capabilities. He calmed down seconds after. "We'll get blown to bits."

Yumi stepped forward and made sure her gloves fit snugly around her hands. She needed to make sure that they fit properly as they were going to be put into good use soon.

"We can't wait, we have to try."

"Whoa wait, don't forget about me!" Ulrich exclaimed.

"No offense but I don't think I need any backup from Weird Al. What the heck are you going to do? Have a phony interview with XANA for Al TV?"

"Oh don't worry, I got something."

That statement was finished just in time so that he could see the hexagon field disappear giving the gigantic energy blast coming his way a clear path to wreck havoc. It slammed into its target with pinpoint accuracy and soon Earth met sky as debris rained down on the witnesses of the madness.

Normally XANA would be celebrating. However, he recalled the lecture he attended while visiting the Council of Evil about how victory for the bad guy was never ensured, no matter how sure you think your aim was. This tired and tested rule of all things evil was about to be proven true yet again.

"I don't think I can allow my students to be hurt!" The voice belonged to Mr. Delmas who had managed to get in front of the Lyoko Team just in time. "Your attacks are nothing when compared to my _Beard of Protection!_"

XANA shook his fist. "Curse you Chuck Norris!"

During the tirade that the computer program had caused the improv performer to endure, Ulrich leapt throw the black smoke and stood face-to-face with his mortal enemy.

"I'd like to show you a move I'd like to call _The Star Spangled Slammer_!"

There was no time for the possessed person to object to the absurdity of the choice of names as he was being pounded in the face repeatedly by an accordion. This was done while Ulrich sang the _Star Spangled Banner _in perfect harmony with the music from his instrument.

"_Oh purple mountains majesty_..."

He was about to go into the chorus for a third time but Yumi politely tagged herself in.

"A-Groove Custom Combo!"

The already groggy XANA no longer had to suffer being beaten by the likes of Weird Al, instead the manifested computer program was being assaulted by an endless string of running Shoryukens being canceled one into another in quick sessions. All of her friends were so stunned with what they saw that they forgot to blink.

"Holy cow! How many times is XANA getting hit?" Jérémie asked.

"Thirty-seven," Jin said calmly.

"And you know this how?"

He pointed to a yellow box that appeared about Yumi's head which contained two digits climbing at a rapid rate. Still the one-sided fight continued. A brilliant flash of light was emitted from the girl as she channeled a large amount of energy to gather at her hands,

"Shinku...HADOKEN!"

The blast of ki blew XANA away as if he were hit by a car and slammed him into the gym's rock climbing wall. That was the opening Jérémie needed.

"Hurry, everyone to the factory!"

Yumi dusted off her shoulders and ran toward the door.

"Wait! Someone should stay here to keep XANA busy when he wakes up."

It only took him three seconds to come up with an answer.

"Jin will stay, can't afford to have any of the cannon cast get hurt needlessly."

"What about Odd? Should we get him?"

"Lord knows what he's doing. I think he can take care of himself. Let's go!"

Before the perpetual rookie could object to his friends' decision, they were long gone leaving him behind with the burden of keeping an angry possessed human at bay in order to keep the world safe from harm. This was going to be evident as XANA stood up looking quiet angry.

"God I hate being the ACC sometimes," Jin muttered underneath his breath.

* * *

The Brain watched the teens run toward the factory in a marvelous display of athleticism, stamina and recycled animation. Though his original plans were threatened and his initial advantage was gone he still maintained his collected deposition. The same could not be said for the rest of the Council of Evil. 

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Came Thompson's panicked-stricken voice.

"I can't believe XANA has people like you in his commanding ranks.Those kids are just going to deactivate a tower, that's it."

"Fine," the commander shot back forcibly. "First they're going to deactivate the tower and then we're going to die!" He returned to his fetal position on the floor.

"This battle is not over yet. We still have a Plan B." He turned to his assistant. "Pinky, press the button."

Even the dim-witted lab mouse was able to follow such a simple direction. From one of the factory's surveillance cameras those in the meeting room saw a sizeable explosion near the main controls of the super computer where Jérémie sat. The console was caught in the blast radius sustaining substantial damages. No longer able to stay operational, the main control unit shut down.

"Those kids can't shut down the tower if they can't get to Lyoko."

Only Pinky refused to smile along with the others and instead looked rather disappointed with this particular development.

"Awww...I just redecorated Lyoko also. Now those kids won't be able to see the changes I made."

Alarm sirens wailed in Brain's mind.

"Changes?"

"Oh its nothing, _narf_, I just wanted to give those kids a good time. It is Halloween."

The smarter mouse's better side told him that this was anything but "nothing." Though, as long as those kids stayed out of Lyoko, no further harm could be done.

* * *

The keyboard and processing unit responsible of manning the scanners and overseeing Lyoko was a shadow of its former self. The tiny plastic buttons were charred black, wires were exposed in every direction and the strong smell of smoke hung in the air, the only piece of evidence of the crime that happened just seconds before. Silence overtook the group as they were not used to seeing such horrors close to home. 

"I can't believe this..."

Ulrich's voice was low and trailed off at the end as it did not have enough strength to finish his statement.

"The computer is gone." Yumi completed what he had yet to say.

"Eh?" The boy said while looking up. "I was more in shock that there was a paragraph of serious narration in this poorly written comedy chapter."

"Oh yeah, that was kind of weird come to think of it."

"No...this can't be."

Jérémie fell to his knees unable to comprehend the destruction as, unlike his friends, he did not let some literary garbage cloud his focus. Still, the loss of one of the factory's most valuable pieces of technology was too much to bear.

"Shhhh. It's ok," Aelita said gently.

She could understand the boy's plight. If they never enter Lyoko then she will never be free and XANA would have won. Thinking such a vile thought would be devastating to the person that she cared for the most. Jérémie sacrificed so much for her well being; now it was her turn to lend him her strength. Mimicking another cliché that has been seen in a lot of bad J/A fanfics (_this one included_) Aelita wrapped her slender arms around the boy's torso to comfort him.

"You don't have to cry. You've fought hard enough. Just take your time to collect your thoughts and I know you can prevail. I'm touched that you care for me so much."

"I'LL MISS YOU COMPUTER!"

Aelita's eyes narrowed and her brow was furrowed with anger. She commended Jérémie for being so committed for portraying the über techno geek Kensuke so well but maybe picking such a character for him to cosplay as was not such a good idea.

Just when things looked their bleakest, Jim suddenly emerged from behind.

"'_Eyyyyyyyyyy_, kids why you look so down," he said with a level of cool not normally associated with his character.

"JIM?!" The all exclaimed at the same time. Their voices were still synchronized when they asked the following question. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"If that's the only question you have about this whole chapter then there's something seriously wrong with all of you."

The older man raised his gaze and saw the computer wrecked that lay not far from him and was able to put two and two together.

"Oh you're all upset that your big computer is busted. I can fix that. I'm pretty good with machines."

Confused stares came his way; surely this man was crazy. Jim was rather unfazed by the lack of faith his students had in him and made his way to the broken machine. Taking careful note of where the damaged areas were, the man in the leather jacket raised his fist and gave the terminal a good pound.

"'_Eyyyyyyyyyy_," he said one more time while giving the younger children two thumbs up.

Jérémie was beside himself with anger.

"How can you treat our precious computer with such savagery?! In case you haven't noticed, it's badly damaged as is and I don't think hitting it will..."

The computer turned on as if it underwent a simple reboot.

"How did you..." Jérémie's voice trailed off.

He didn't get the explanation as Jim had to leave. With a snap of his fingers, he was then surrounded by legions of beautiful women.

"Sorry, man…gotta go. I promised these girls that I'd take them to the beach so that they can watch me jump over a shark."

Jim left as suddenly as he came. No one wished to comment what just happened and the team resumed their mission as if nothing had happened. With Ulrich, Yumi and Odd in the scanners, the one responsible for their departure into the virtual world typed in the necessary keys needed for the transfer.

* * *

Meanwhile Jin was forced to keep a rather teed off XANA at bay. Though his friends had abandoned him, his resolution held firm. This was going to be the fight where he proved his worth to the rest of the team. In the next five seconds, the boy will show his arch enemy his full strength and make him regret ever picking a fight in the human world. 

Oh who the heck he was kidding? He was scared stiff.

"_I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!_"

Being the eternal klutz and having the weakest Lyoko form wasn't enough baggage. Nooooooooo, he had to also be the ACC which meant cannon fodder for the likes of XANA. If we was going to come out of this thing alive then he needed some serious help.

'Mew! Chelsea!" He screamed out. "Ummm, can I ask you two for a small favor?"

The girl dressed as Yumi and the Pokémon both shook their heads.

"Sorry Jin but it's about time we left."

"WHAT?!"

Chelsea stepped forward. "Yeah I gotta get back to the _Stronger After All _series. I mean having a cameo in Retelling is pretty sweet and all but in my fanfic I'm the star!"

Mew's reply came shortly after. "I got some more drawings to do. You take forever to update and by the time you come back to the story, I'll be too old to remember what I was supposed to do."

By now XANA was fully conscious and was looking rather peeved.

"Last year Halloween I was unprepared of the unique "abilities" that your costumes granted you. The same can't be said now! Jin Ishiyama, you will fall beneath my Dark Legion! Allies, show yourselves!"

From the back of the gym's doors emerged several shadowy figures. Their silhouettes were towering and hinted that they were not beings of this world.

"Behold my Dark Legion! I have used your little privileges bestowed to you by this Holiday against you as I have summoned these five to destroy you! First meet the serial killer from Crystal Lake, Jason!"

Jin felt chills run through his spine as he stared at the bulky man in the hockey mask and brandishing a rather large and very sharp machete.

(_Scream_)

"Remorseless, bloodthirsty and made of plastic, the child's doll responsible for murderous rampages all around the United States, it's Chucky!"

The smaller silhouette came next by XANA's command. He too was armed with a sharp blade and had an evil look in his plastic beady eyes.

(_Scream_)

"Of course I'm not limited to enlisting aid from creatures from Earth. My influence reaches as far into the Solar System. From the depths of space I bring to your death, The Alien!"

A bone chilling hiss followed three large footsteps echoed through the empty gym's halls. The giant black creature licked its extended jaw and surveyed the boy to see if he was worthy to be its next host.

(_Scream_)

"Finally, from the realms of animation itself. I bring you the man who has the powers of the snake...Orochimaru!"

Unlike the other introductions, this one did not go as smoothly. Instead of an entrance worthy of several pieces of fan art, the deadly ninja was a no show. Thinking that this was just a simple cue mix-up, XANA tried again.

"I bring you the man who has the powers of the snake...Orochimaru!"

Still nothing.

"Guuuuuuyyys, where is he?" XANA whined.

Chucky spoke up. "Oh yeah, Orochimaru won't be able to come. He got into a fender bender with another car and ended up in the hospital."

"That's impossible! Orochimaru is the undisputed master of snakes! I refuse to believe that a simple fender bender can send him to the hospital."

"Samuel L. Jackson was driving the other car."

XANA winched. "Poor Orochimaru. Don't worry everyone; I have the perfect replacement in mind. He's from the internet so it won't take him long to get here. Once he arrives, we'll begin the clobbering!"

* * *

Brain was stunned with what he saw. 

"We did not discus the use of a "Dark Legion." Since when did XANA decide to deviate from the plan?"

Obviously Brain was not pleased with his colleague taking matters into his own hands. He had already proven himself incompetent in the past. Such a brazen act could jeopardize their chances for world conquest. Still though, the line up of Hollywood monsters he had called forth was quiet impressive so maybe this wasn't such a bad move after all. Everyone had been accounted for except for this mysterious replacement.

"Anderson, XANA mentioned about how his latest contact was from the internet. Do you have any idea who this might be?"

"I don't know man. The only thing I'm worried about is how impressionable XANA is."

"How so?"

"Well one day, he saw a person juggle a Rubik's cube, a dead cockroach and a bowling ball all while trying to swat a bee. Next thing you know, they're the inspiration for all of monsters on Lyoko."

"Uh oh."

* * *

After ending his short call on his cell phone, XANA turned back to the Dark Legion to announce his latest bit of news. 

"The replacement is coming. He'll be here any..."

Not even The Brain could have anticipated how fast the new guy would arrive to the battle field drowning out whatever XANA had to say with his overzealous battle cry.

"Alright, times' up, I'm back, let's do this—LEEEEEEEEEROOOOOYYY JEEEENKINS!!!!!"

The crazed human Paladin did not bother with tiny details such as formal introductions or reading the battle plan. Instead the iconic WoW character started blindly swinging at whatever direction he was facing completely missing Jin and putting the Dark Legion in arms way.

The end result was the single most one-sided fight in the history of Code Lyoko.

* * *

The Council of Evil watched with stunned faces as Leeroy Jenkins proceeded to utterly destroy the forces XANA had enlisted. Brain quickly shut off the main monitor just when XANA gave the gamer celebrity a much needed boot to the face right while he was eating a piece of chicken. 

"I think its time we discussed our escape plan."

"Do we have to leave now Brain? We've made so many friends." Pinky cried out wearing the sad puppy dog look that all American cartoon characters are capable of.

"In the event we must abandon these facilities, we must determine a location where we can all reconvene."

"Let me pick! Let me pick!" The taller lab mouse said energetically. The prospects of helping his best friend out with one of his many plans brightened his moods. Not wanting to give the surprise away he whispered the suggestion into Brain's gigantic head.

"Hmmm...that place is pretty nondescript. Very well then Pinky, I accept your suggestion. Gentlemen, I will all give you an envelop detailing the exact location for us to meet in the event our enemies get close enough to endanger our lives."

* * *

"You are such an idiot Leory!" XANA screamed at the top of his lungs. All of his planning, all of his efforts were laid to waste by the actions of one stupid _World of Warcraft_ player. "What do you have to say for yourself?" 

He had to think for a second. "Least I have chicken."

"Gaaaaaaah! Leave now! Out! Out! OUT!"

Leroy bowed his head in shame and slowly walked away.

"Oh well, looks like I'm going to have to destroy Jin myself."

He turned around just in time to catch a thunderous blow to the forehead by a kendo stick. The hit wasn't too damaging but it sure hurt like heck. The body he was controlling acted on its own and stumbled backwards as to put some much needed space between it and its attacker.

Jin finally took the offensive. He didn't worry about minor details such as how outclassed he was or where the heck did he find a kendo stick to begin with. Instead he climbed a nearby table to deliver an aerial attack that would further put the hurt on XANA. His legs catapulted him off the ground and launched him to the air at dizzying heights sending straight into his target. Bamboo met flesh for a second time, breaking the weapon and rendering it useless.

With his primary means of attack gone, Jin switched tactics. Remembering all of Shane McMahon's classic hardcore matches, the boy resorted to grabbing the first steel chair he could get his hands on and smashed it into his enemy with everything he had.

* * *

To attract bees, one has to use honey. To attract birds, one must employ a convincing call of the same species. To attract school children to a fight, especially those belonging to the professional wrestling fandom, all you need is the sound of a chair banging against another man's skull. 

The ears of nearly every male student at Kadic perked up just slightly, Clayton's being one of them.

"Did anyone else hear the sound of a foldable steel chair that's about an inch and a half thick collide with the cranial portion of the human body?"

A collective response of the affirmative came his way.

"Then that only means one thing...FIIIIIIIIIGHT!"

It was the unwritten code of the schoolyard to immediately rush to the location of any on campus slugfest when the word fight was hollered in its elongated forum. Quickly they ran back to the gym as not to miss any of the action.

* * *

They didn't come a moment too soon. The students who were expecting to see a fight got just that as they saw Jin plant a both of his feet into the chest of some random stranger wearing a shirt with some sort of writing on it. Near the action was a large announcer's table where two adult men sat. One wore a cowboy hat and had a face as round as his belly while the other was wearing a flashy costume and a crown. The large man spoke first. 

"Jin just landed an impressive front dropkick on XANA! I'll tell you something King, this kid's got talent and heart. Just like me trying to get to the front of the line at a hotel buffet, Jin is not going to let anything stop him from winning this match."

His voice was quiet powerful and had a slight Southern accent that did not interfere in his speaking abilities.

"I dunno J.R.; my money is still on XANA. He's a seasoned fighter who is more than capable of taking down that teenage punk."

The second man's voice was more grating if not slightly irritating.

CRACK!

Another chair shot collided with XANA's head.

"How much more punishment can XANA take? That's the second time he got hit with a chair and let me tell you something King; those things are not made out of Hershey's chocolate." J.R. was completely enthralled with the battle as his commentary was emotionally charged. Those students watching were caught up in the excitement as well as they began to cheer their classmate on.

"One more time! One more time!" They chanted in unison.

The final blow was being prepared. Jin tightened his grip on his weapon until his knuckles were white and ran in a furious charge and into XANA's vice like grip.

"Gotcha now you little brat!"

He willed his host's body to tighten his fingers around the boy's neck making escape impossible and making it difficult for him to breath.

"You want to play huh? Let's see if you like to be on the receiving end of this beating!"

With one arm Jin was hoisted into the air only to be crashing toward the ground by a vicious choke slam.

A stunned silence washed over those watching. No one anticipated the savage turn the fight had undertook and the loud thud their schoolmate's body made when hitting the floor was only a small indicator of the level of abuse he just sustained.

"Oh my god King! XANA might have just killed that poor boy!"

Signs of life were seen coming from the lone Lyoko warrior. Slowly he began to stir, moving his body in tiny spasms, building enough momentum for more complex actions such as pushing himself to a kneeling position. His head was pounding, his breath was labored but he was still alive.

"Whoa Jin, you can't just get up," J.R. commented both admiring his courage and scolding him for his stupidity. "You gotta be like a good omelet and just know when you're done."

"What's with all the food references?" The King asked.

"I'm really hungry."

* * *

The last piece of the broken piano had been removed from the scene and Dirk was finally able to get close enough to William Dunbar's body so that he could bring him back to consciousness. 

And when I say "bring him back to consciousness" what I really mean is "give him a good kick in the head so that he can wake up."

"Owwww, what happened to me?" He asked while rising to his feet.

"No time to explain. Jin is getting trashed in there and I'm going to need your help."

"Whoa wait a second! Why should I help Yumi's wannabe bodyguard after all the insults he's thrown my way?"

"It would win you some serious karma points with Yumi."

William didn't take long to come up with a final answer.

"Deal. Say, why do you want to help Jin out? I thought you two hated each other."

Dirk shuffled his deck of cards a few times before answering.

"We do hate each other but I don't mind saving the guy. Makes me look cool toward the fangirls. Am I right ladies?"

(_Fangirl Scream_)

"I thought..." After uttering those two words, William saw the futility of continuing the running joke. It was getting quiet qnnoying now.

* * *

Dirk met up with his bodyguard who was handing out free cups of water and moved his little trio into battle. 

"Listen up whoever you are. Now I'm not too keen on Ishiyama myself but it's about time you haul your electricity shooting behind out of this school!"

His opponent turned to face him, missing the tiny signs of life that Jin was displaying.

"You dare challenge me? Do you understand the huge difference in powers I have over you. I can shoot beams of electricity out of my fingers. I can make objects bend and contort with just my thoughts. How can you possibly even think you can beat me?"

"Oh I think I have something more powerful than bolts of electricity." Dirk wore a smug grin as he raised his had so that his index finger pointed directly at this opponent and his thumb faced the sky. "I'm packing invisible guns."

In an instant all the color washed away from XANA's face. Indeed he was outclassed by such a powerful weapon. In a last ditch effort to get a quick surprise attack against the arrogant teen, he charged at him. This hasty move had already been anticipated by Dirk. Quickly the boy threw out a low kick that obliterated both XANA's shin and his sense of balance.

XANA was thrown into a state of panic. He frantically flapped his arms in the air in a desperate attempt to regain control of his momentum but only continued to stumble.

"Clayton, now!"

The bodyguard recognized the familiar double-team attack and got into position to deliver some serious pain. The guy coming at him posed no threat given his current position. Stopped over, and unaware of his surroundings, he was completely defenseless. Without any hesitation, Clayton grabbed the man by the torso and in an impressive display of strength, lifted large man over the back of his head. He then eyed the ground for a brief second and threw his helpless victim forward with all of the force he could generate in his arms.

"Power bomb, compliments of Captain Insano."

XANA felt his entire world go black after the powerful blow which ended with the back of his hitting the hard wood floor. Right around that time, Jin Ishiyama had risen to his feet. The pain pulsating through his body had faded away enough so that he could now move without the urge to double-over in agony. He had to get out of this fight and fast. If he stayed here any longer he would most likely be killed given his present condition. The boy's blurred vision was fixed on the giant TV screen and metal frame that Mr. Delmas bought and he began to move. Seeing this as his chance to escape, Jin gripped the iron bars and began to climb.

* * *

Through her fights with XANA, Yumi had seen it all when it came to Lyoko. Giant crabs and mechanical blocks, small robotic cockroaches and of course, the world's most deadly bowling ball. All of these foes were just part of the flora and fauna of the virtual world and it was just another reality she had grown accustomed to. 

None of these previous experiences prepared her for what she was seeing.

Instead of the normally desolate forest region that Jérémie said they were going to, a brand new location was before her that she couldn't quiet make out. Tall buildings stood, their tops twisted like vines and reaching into the depths of the sky lit by a full moon. Granite tombstones as far as the eye can see. Ghosts, goblins, vampires, werewolves and demons parading about. And to add to the grim decor, an old stone fountain flowing with green slime.

Ulrich rested a nervous hand on the handle of his katana. He too could not make out heads or tails of what was going on. These strange creatures, he had no idea if they were friend or foe or what purpose they had here. He rationalized that launching an offensive now would be a most foolish move and he decided to sit back and see if he could get any sort of answers just by carefully observing their movements.

Their patience was soon rewarded. The town's belfry rang loud which was a significant thing, judging by all the monsters' reactions. The loud sound brought order to the chaos; most evident to the large number of ghosts who were no longer content with just aimlessly flying about. Quickly the beings of spectral energy retreated back to their graves only to surface once again to sing in a haunting chorus.

_Boys and girls of every age...  
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?  
Come with us and you will see  
This our town of Halloween_

* * *

Brain, along with the rest of XANA's council of evil, were dumbfounded by shock. 

"You redecorated Lyoko so that it would look like Halloween Town?!"

The taller mouse was unfazed by his partner s anger and continued to smile.

"I just can't wait till those kids come here so I can give them their candy." Pinky said while gesturing to a bag of fun size Butterfingers.

"Give them candy?"

"Yep, I asked those monsters to build a special passage way to this room so that we can all see their happy smiles. Don't you just love Halloween?"

* * *

"This doorway leads to XANA's secret headquarters," Ulrich said out loud as he read the sign posted next to the mysterious doorway he spotted not too far from the place they landed. 

"You think it's a trap?"

"Could be but then again we know that XANA's done some pretty stupid things in the past whenever we're in an intermission chapter so I say let's go inside."

Yumi drew her fan out and nodded her head. "Count me in but before we go, I want to tell Aniki something."

* * *

Jin had just finished climbing the scaffold of the giant television screen and nearly had collapsed from exhaustion. He wondered if XANA had followed him to the top of the structure and looked down to see quiet the sight. For the second time today, XANA was laying on the floor unconscious. His eyes staring at the ceiling, glazed over. Jin wiped the sweat from his brow. His work here was done. All he had to do was wait for the others to deactivate the tower and they could send the evil program back to his virtual home. Just then his cell phone rang. 

"Aniki, guess what XANA did to Lyoko." Came his sister's voice. He could hear her snicker on the other side of the line as if she was planning to play a practical joke on him.

"What?"

"He made it look like Halloween Town; monsters and all!"

"NO WAY?!"

Hearing this news, Jin began a series of incoherent exclamations and fits of yelling. His dissatisfaction for missing out on such a rare event was shown on a physical level as well. He stomped around uncontrollably and began to pace at a frantic rate; not noticing how dangerously close to the edge he was.

* * *

The two men providing commentary kept a watchful eye on Jin ever since he decided to ascend to the top of the viewing structure. 

"I can't believe this King; it looks like Jin has ran away from the fight"

"Yeah and he had his little friends beat XANA to a pulp. I knew that kid was a dirty fighter!"

True to the boy's clumsy nature, his ranting had now put him teetering over the edge of the platform and now he was trying his very best to regain his balance so that he didn't fall. Although the cause of this was purely accidental, The King and J.R. misinterpreted the action in another way.

"Oh no King, it looks like Jin is going to finish XANA off. Don't do it kid! You got too much to live for don't..."

Jin couldn't control his movements fast enough and plummeted straight to the floor, landing right on top of XANA in an accidental elbow drop that made a small crater in the floor.

"Oh my God King! Look at the bodies! Look at the broken bodies! It's a train wreck back here."

A look of awe was widespread on the faces of all the children watching. Jin's elbow drop went above and beyond the call of duty. In order to beat such a powerful opponent he risked life and limb in order to make sure he stayed down. His actions deserved praised.

"Holy cow! Holy cow! Holy cow!" They chanted in unison.

Dirk stepped back and smiled at the carnage. Everything went according to plan and he predicted at least five pictures of fan art would be drawn of him. All the people he asked for assistance performed their desired tasks; all except one.

"Ok so you gave that weird guy a sweep kick then Clayton nailed him with a power bomb. Why did you ask me to come?" William asked letting his voice show that he was quiet annoyed at the fact that he sat on the sidelines.

"Oh I have a reason..."

Approximately 2.5 seconds later, William was flattened by a piano.

"And that reason is for comic relief," Dirk said with chuckle.

Odd had leapt to the lower level of the gym from a hole he made in the roof not too long ago. He landed gracefully on top of the wrecked piano producing a small muffled cry of pain from William. Samantha's iron clad form landed in the same area shortly after. She produced an even louder scream from the already suffering boy.

"I can't believe that you spent all of that time waiting for the right moment to flatten XANA with that piano and when the guy finally stays still you go and miss him. Who would have thought that my boyfriend would have such crummy aim?"

"Who said I was aiming for XANA?"

* * *

In a dark room, far away from Lyoko, XANA's greatest military minds gathered; a bit shaken from Yumi and Ulrich's assault on their headquarters but they were still alive. If it was for Brain's genius planning they would have shared the same fate as their base. Anderson took a quick glance at all of his co-workers faces and asked the obvious question. 

"Is everyone here?"

Other figures emerged from the shadow including those of a pair of mice and one evil organization leader nursing a huge bruise.

"XANA, when did you get back?"

"Just now. Do you guys don't want to know about the huge beating I took back there so I got away as fast as I could and apparently you all relocated here as I saw an envelop with this address on it."

The overlord noticed how dark the meeting room was. Seeing how much of a pain it was to stare into blackness; he voiced his concern.

"Can someone hit the light switch?"

His request was instantly answered. The light bulbs clicked and the problem was solved. Immediately XANA looked for any clues on the walls to see where he was as he followed the directions in a dizzy haze. Posted in the back of the room was a sign that had his answers. Reading the writing on the wall caused the computer program to shake in fright causing the others to become curious on the reason why.

"Is something troubling you?" Brain asked.

XANA inhaled and yelled at the top of is lungs.

"You had all of us me at the main headquarters for _POP TV_!_"_

Brain's knowledge of pop culture was nonexistent at best.

"Well Pinky just wrote the location down. Is there something wrong with this place?"

"Only that a giant blue robot manages to smash the place up every episode!"

To confirm XANA's fears, the ceiling was ripped open like a sardine can and revealed the robot in question towering over them. Inside the red sports car that served as the machine's head the pilot was receiving advice from the front seat.

"Are those the guys Odd?" Coop asked his friend from France. He didn't have enough time to change into his street clothes and was still dressed as Edward Elric.

"That's the one. Give them the classic Smash and Bash!"

"Hey man, when we're done with these chumps wanna have a contest to see who can eat the most hot dogs?"

The other boy waved his hand as to dismiss the suggestion.

"Hot dogs are so last year. How about ham wrapped in pizza?"

A big smile spread across the fat pilot's face. He showed his approval by tapping his knuckles against Odd's and raised his pinky and index finger.

"Rock on, buddy!"

Meanwhile there was a best friend who sat in the back seat feeling rather ignored. From his view he saw Coop smash a big red button labeled "Last two scenes of fanfic" and Megas began to roar with activity. XANA sensed that something bad was going to happen and to save his skin he activated his emergency Return to the Past device. Two butt-kickings in one day was more than enough for him.

* * *

Jérémie sat at one of the many benches at Kadic along with the rest of his friends. 

"Well guys, looks like we just saved another Halloween from the likes of XANA."

Yumi smiled in agreement.

"Yep, we can finally relax and enjoy the holiday a second time around. I'm glad that all of the problems in this chapter came our way were nicely solved."

One person disagreed with that statement. William Dunbar angrily marched toward the Lyoko gang, getting their attention rather quickly.

"Nicely solved my foot! The pacing was horribly off, the sub plots were simply cast aside not to mention the whole _Scream-O-Vision _running gag was scrapped half-way through! I can't believe the author actually puts this garbage out on the internet."

The rest of the group didn't say a word as William's figured was eclipsed by a large menacing shadow that was growing wider.

"A piano is going to fall on me huh?"

"Not quiet," Ulrich responded. Instead the large heavy object that flattened him was a bulldozer. The team smiled in satisfaction; well all the cannon characters at least.

"I dunno, for some reason I feel like this whole thing is incomplete in some way."

Just then a man clad in a matching yellow jacket and pants pounced on the vehicle and stretched his arms outward to yell out his battle cry.

"_WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY_!"

He let loose a flurry of punches and ended the combo with an elbow drop which caused the bulldozer to explode. Jin blinked a few times and soon joined in his friends in the collective smile.

"And balance was restored to the universe."

"Not quiet Aniki."

Yumi shielded herself from the wooden splinters that flew her way as the result of her brother being flattened by a grand piano.

"Now it is."

* * *

In a labatory located in an undisclosed city, two lab mice were busy with their own hobbies to noticed the late hour. Pinky blissfully ran inside his training wheel while his partner drew up countless diagrams and graphs for his latest scheme. 

"I guess our time spent coaching XANA did not allow us to dominate the world like we wanted."

"But Brain, we got to see some really neat costumes and watch loads and loads of cable TV."

"Normally I'd warn you to stay away from such grabage since it will rot your brain but I would just be wasting my breath."

"You're probably right...narf!"

Brain eyed the lock on the cage with evil intent. It less than twenty-four hours it would be broken during their next endevor into the outside world.

"We should get some rest for tomorrow night."

It was a routine that the utter this bit of dialogue after every failed plan. No matter how many times it was repeated, Pinky could never figure out the pattern.

"Geez Brain, what are we doing tomorrow night?"

"The same thing we do everynight Pinky...try to take over the world!"

The camera zooms out of ACME labs while the voices of Wakko, Yakko and Dot sing over the footage.

_They're Pinky  
They're Pinky  
And the Brain, Brain, Brian, Brain, Braaaaain_

END

(_Scream_)

Hehe...you know you want to.

* * *

**Outtakes**

No outtakes from me this time. Instead I'll let DJ Banks cover this part of the chapter.

Chapter 10: "End of Take"; Scene: Finson tries to stop the alien:

Finson had managed to crawl on his belly and grabbed at his creation's tail pleading with it to cease its destruction.

"I made you! I am your creator! I… am your father!"

The monster instantly took on a horrified look to its face. "NOOOOO!!!!!" It screamed in a pained way.

Ulrich shook his head. "No, all of his movies are completely original," He said, sarcasm dripping from his words, before he followed the other teens away from the scene.

* * *

Chapter 13: "Marksman"; Scene: Odd pranks Jin in Arcade 

"Jin, look! Somebody is stealing your CD player!" Odd said, trying his best to sound alarmed as if the actual crime was being committed.

Jin quickly spun on his heel and ran toward the exit of the arcade in an effort to try to catch the petty thief. As he took his first few steps, he forgot about the plastic gun he was holding which was connected to the cabinet via a giant heavy chain and a thick chord. Odd watched the chain tense up, expecting it to snap Jin back like a dog at the end of its leash, but it did the exact opposite. Jin felt the resistance of the chain for a second before it and the cord broke with surprising ease. The resulting lack of the chain made Jin loose his balance and fall flat on his face.

Odd stared at the scene in a stunned way for all of two seconds, before he cracked up laughing.

Jin lifted his head slightly from the ground, feeling a slight pan of anger at how he had fallen yet again. That's when he noticed the ugly pair of shoes walk up next to him.

"You're paying for that," the store manager told the teen, causing the boy to sigh angrily and drop his face back down into the carpet.

* * *

**Words from the Author**

Yeah I know this chapter is long overdue and whatnot. Sorry but I don't have much to say right now except the usual. I'm not dead yet as I'm still writing it's just that life has a nasty tendency to keep throwing stuff in my way to prevent me from getting what I want done. I will say this chapter is the most internet centered one I've written in terms of jokes and such and I hope this humor is not lost on all of my readers. The next chapter is already in the works and I will say that the all the answers you are wishing for will be coming to you real soon. Special thanks goes to Mewberries and lyokolady who won second and third place in my last art contest and got cameo appearances in this chapter.

As always the costume list is as follows.

Yumi - Sakura Kasugano (Street Fighter Alpha)  
Jin - Shane McMahon (WWE Professional Wrestler)  
Odd - Edward Elric (Full Metal Alchemist)  
Samantha - Alphonse Elric (Full Metal Alchemist)  
Hiroki - Tsukushi Kasunago (Street Fighter Alpha)  
Aelita - Rei Ayanami (Evangelion)  
Jérémie - Kensuke Aida (Evangelion)  
Ulrich - Weird Al Yankovic (Parody Song Artist)  
Jim - Fonzie (Happy Days)  
Mr. Delmas - Chuck Norris (Action Movie Star)  
Sissi - Clover (Totally Spies)  
Herb - Sam (Totally Spies)  
Nicholas - Alex (Totally Spies)  
Mewberries - Mew (Pokémon)  
Chelsea - Yuffie (Final Fantasy VII)  
Clayton - Bobby Boucher (The Waterboy)  
Dirk - Seto Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh)  
William - Jin Ishiyama (Retelling Series' ACC)

Cameo Appearances By

Dio (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)  
Pinky (Pinky and the Brian)  
Brain (Pinky and the Brain)  
Coop (Megas XLR)  
Wayne Brady (Who's Line is it Anyway?)  
Sagat (Street Fighter)  
Dan (Street Fighter Alpha)  
Chucky (Child's Play)  
The Alien (Aliens)  
Jason (Friday the 13th)  
Jim Ross (WWE Ring-side announcer)  
Jerry "The King" Lawler (WWE Ring-side Announcer)  
Leeroy Jenkins (World of Warcraft Player)

Thanks for reading as always!


	20. Episode 14: Review Session

**Special Thanks**

To all who have the patience to read fifty page chapters and are kind enough to leave reviews behind. You all rock!

**Disclaimer**

Oh please don't sue me...oh please! I'm too young to go to jail!

* * *

**Original Episode 14: Review Session**

My eyes lazily opened just seconds before my alarm clock's loud ringing was heard. Normally I just have the thing turn on the radio but I felt I would need something a bit more powerful to wake me this morning. Immediately I sat up and stretched and was face-to-face with my computer monitor. Given the fact that I woke up in my computer chair and not my bed could only mean one thing: I was working late into the night again.

The others are going to kill me when they find out that I've just broken my promise I made with my friends again. Ever since they found out that I'd been pulling all-nighters on a frequent basis, they've started to monitor my sleeping habits. Ulrich and Odd would keep knocking at my door to see if I was still awake and would not leave until I went to bed. Late night pesters were bearable. The worst of it all is that those two somehow managed to get Aelita involved as well. The knocks on my door I can occasionally ignore but one stern look from her and the next thing you know I'm shutting down my computer for the night.

Still though, I can see where they're coming from. Missing meals and getting little sleep will wreak untold damages to my body in the future. I'm touched that they care for me so deeply. Then again, XANA has no need for food or rest and is constantly plotting our demise. He's a threat to our safety and the world's, and the longer he stays active, the more dangerous he becomes. The upkeep for maintaining our counter-offensive is humongous: codes need to be programmed, computers fixed and updated, scans to run and of course the attacks. I'm the only one who has the necessary abilities to accomplish these vital tasks and to do them within normal waking hours is a Herculean tasks My list of responsibilities is so great that I sometimes forget what I was last working on.

Come to think of it, what was I working on last night before I drifted off into sleep?

I quickly skim through the word processing program that I still have out. Luckily, I managed to save this piece of writing right before I dozed off. Even though I currently had no clue what I had written last night, I'm not in the mood to write it all over again...

Oh yeah now I remember, I was updating the Battle Log. See, this is what I mean when I say my list of responsibilities is huge. Ever since XANA took control of Milly's teddy bear and sent it rampaging around the city, I've been documenting all of our encounters with the rouge program. 

These detailed summaries contain all the necessary information of what happened on that particular day: Who went to Lyoko. Who stayed on Earth to minimize damage. As well as tracking general strategies in combat and any personal conflicts that might have happened along the way. Already three XANA attacks have gone by since I last made an addition to this thing which goes to show how easily my work gets backlogged. Well, I might as well get started then, these sorts of things don't finish themselves. I'm happy there were no classes today. While the rest of the students of Kadic use this opportunity to lounge away in bliss, I'll be more productive and really keep my nose to the grindstone.

Going over the list of methods that XANA has used to attack Earth, I'm beginning to think he's been watching too many cheesy sci-fi movies. I mean look at this: mind-controlled bees, rampaging robots in a malfunctioning factory and nearly reducing Kadic to a pile of rubble with the power of sound. Honestly, I'm having a hard time believing half of this and I actually lived through these events. If an outsider were to read these documents, it would look more like a pilot for a TV show instead of an accurate documentation of our day-to-day lives.

I just recycled one of Jin's tired punch lines. Man this feels strange.

Fortunately, I had managed to get a majority of my work done while in my sleepy haze last night. Really all I need are a few edits and some finishing touches and then I would complete another important project. It's at this critical stage that I begin to feel a bit wary because usually whenever I make a significant leap in progress in whatever I am doing, some major distraction has to come pounding at my door.

knock knock

Or in this case, two major distractions by the names of Odd and Ulrich.

"Come in," I say passively.

Odd enters first and immediately flops onto my bed without a second thought. Really though, that guy treats my room as if it was just an extension of his. Oh well, it's one of his unique "quirks" that I've grown accustomed to through all the years I've known him. At least Ulrich has enough tact to lean against the wall so he won't disturb anything.

"Hey Einstein!" Odd cheerfully yells out looking rather excited. He's probably thinking of food right now hence why his smile is so wide.

"Wanna get some breakfast?"

I knew it.

Ulrich is far more subtle with his request than his loud roommate.

"So you're coming downstairs or what? You're going to need to eat or else you won't have enough energy in your system for what Yumi has planned for all of us."

Oh shoot Yumi! I almost forgot about that. I actually promised her that I'd show up to the little meeting she arranged for today. I can only imagine the disappointed frown she would have if I backed out now. She really goes out of her way to look after me sometimes, kinda like a big sister in a way.

"Sure but..."

"But what?" Odd quickly cuts me off.

"But, I need to freshen up first. Just out of curiosity, do any of you have any idea what Yumi has in store for us?"

My two distractions just shrug their shoulders. They're just as clueless as I am.

"Not much Einstein. All she said was to show up dressed ready for a workout."

Oh great not more PE. Jim gives me enough of a hard time but now Yumi wants to actually put me through more physical torment during my free time. Well she has her reasons. Quickly I shoo away the two roommates so I can get changed.

"Usual table?" Ulrich asks.

"As always."

The door closes as I gather my bathroom supplies and head for the showers. I really want to get back to my personal projects but a small break won't hurt.

* * *

"Soooo, how does your cheek feel?" Ulrich asks me with a cheeky smile.

"My cheek? What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Oh I just remembered the time when Emily slapped you when you started spreading rumors about her having a crush on Jim."

"Dude that is such old news!"

"Yeah but it's still really funny. Admit it."

My roommate doubles over in laughter at my expense. He's forgetting that whole thing was part of an elaborate lie I made up in order for him to save face when he went all lovey-dovey on us. The things I do for friendship.

"I'm sure I can find a kind person to come and kiss it to make it feel better. I've a long list of girls who would just love to volunteer."

My sharp wit strikes again. Only someone possessing my humorous genius could turn a potential insult into a moment of flattery. I really impress myself sometimes. Ulrich didn't really have a chance to respond as Jeremie finally decided to show up.

"Welcome to the best table in the cafeteria." I see another moment for self-flattery. "It is only here that you can be graced by my wonderful presence."

Jeremie stares at me blankly as he does not grasp my gift of comedy and promptly sits down. The score stands: Odd two, Jeremie & Ulrich zero.

"So what did I miss?"

I'm stuffing my mouth with Rosa's cooking, so I can't really say anything important right now. Ulrich does so for me.

"Ah nothing much, just chit-chat"

"Yeah chit-chat," I say with a mouth full of food.

"Odd and I were talking about that one time when XANA controlled all those bees and sent them to attack us."

I swallow whatever I was chewing on for I could no longer concentrate on eating. That particular XANA attack left some pretty bad memories for yours truly. Like the time when Einstein and I were chased by those yellow buggers and had to hide out in the sewer. See, this is why we have Return to the Past folks; without it I would be forced into bankruptcy with dry cleaning bills alone.

"I'm telling you man, you and Yumi got off easily. You two try hiding out in the sewage system for half-an-hour."

Talking about Lyoko will always get Jeremie's attention and it was only a matter of time before he'd tell about the next big thing he would start working on.

"That reminds me, I've updated the Battle Log today..."

Just like clockwork. Just like clockwork.

"Thank goodness that we got today off or else I would have never completed this thing. Writing detailed records of what happened for three XANA attacks is quiet a daunting assignment."

Here's an equation I'd like to share with all of you; new project, plus Jeremie, equals total lack of sleep. Whenever he gets an idea to do _something _stuck in his head he'll work on it with a one-track mind and ignore "less important" things, such as food and rest. It is my theory that Jeremie 

might be part machine on account that no normal person could function under such conditions. Ulrich immediately gets on his case to see if he's been a good little boy in keeping his promise.

"You didn't wake up with your head on your keyboard again did you?"

He turns away in embarrassment. "Not really."

"I knew it!" Ulrich sounds more upset than angry I notice. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. We appreciate your hard work and all but we don't want to see you waste away over this thing."

I slow my eating pace and prepare for the worst. Telling Jeremie to ease up on his work load is always a touchy subject. More and more he's personalizing our battle against XANA. I can't really blame the guy though. Each attack has been getting progressively more dangerous which shows that XANA needs to buy the virtual farm soon. Not to mention, I would bet good money that Jeremie's been having late night chat sessions with a certain pink haired girl. Sly dog.

"It's really hard to do that Ulrich..."

Normally I'd expect an angry outburst from him but instead he just sinks lower into his chair. I really feel sorry for him at times.

"This isn't a game anymore. XANA is a getting smarter by the day. He could have killed all of us, Aelita included, when we walked into his trap over at the factory or during any of his previous attacks. Even with Jin's help, we've only been winning by a slim margin."

This is some real heavy stuff that Einstein is saying and I'm not doing anything stupid to spoil such a tender moment like opening my mouth.

"I hate to think about us losing but I sometimes feel like our good fortune is going to run out one day. I don't want to see you guys get hurt and if I have to spend every waking moment of my life to finding the code to bring Aelita over here then I'll do it for everyone's sake."

Geez, Einstein has been really thinking about this issue, but that's why I'm friends with him. Not so that I can pick apart the brain of the smartest kid in the school, but because he's a real honest to goodness person. I'd give anything to help him out when it comes to anything life or Lyoko related.

Well, anything except my blueberry muffin. That's one of the few things Rosa makes that I'll actually eat and _enjoy_. It's no surprise to see that the others did not share my sunny deposition after that exchange of words. It was if the Sulking Fairy came by and hit everyone with her Emo Ray but missed me in the process. Having all this doom and gloom is going to seriously cramp my style. If I'm going to save the day then I gotta resort to one of my desperation tactics in cheering people up: random topic changing.

"So you guys finish your group projects for Ms. Hertz?"

Shoot, stupid me. If I want to brighten the mood a bit, then talking about school is not going to do the trick. I might as well...

"Quite well actually. I'm just happy that I didn't get Sissi as a partner."

Holy cow it's working. It's...actually...working. Who would have thought? Though it's a bit surprising to see how easily Ulrich took the bait. I'm disappointed in you, man.

"You lucked out. What about you Jeremie? How's it being partnered up with..." Oh drat, her name is just at the tip of my tongue. C'mon Odd, think! Wait, don't tell me. I'll get it, just give me some time.

"Her name is Jordan. The two of us have been quite the productive pair."

Awwww man, I knew the answer. I didn't pity myself for long as I could see Jeremie remove a series of work sheets from his backpack.

"See, I've already completed my half of the project. All I have to do is give my share to Jordan and she'll compile all of our information then we'll be more than ready for tomorrow's deadline."

He really takes pride in his school work and is having fun with this collaborative report we had to do. Talk about multi-tasking. He's able to organize an underground resistance against a computer program, work on a way to defy the laws of physics to bring a virtual person into the real world and get all of his school work done without any mistakes. I swear when this is all over he's gotta start selling tapes on how to effectively micro manage your time.

"Wait!" He exclaims slapping the sides of his face like that kid from Home Alone.

My keen senses are telling me that a gigantic blunder has just taken place. Let's see double-check all the signs to see if I'm right.. Hmmm, wide-eyed shocked expression, hands on the side of the face, stiff posture. Yep, looks like Jeremie did make a huge mistake. Now what exactly happened I have no clue.

"How am I going to give these papers to Jordan?"

That's our friend Jeremie for you. A real whiz when it came to school but totally lacking in the common sense department.

"You put them in her hand, that's how."

"I would but I have no idea when I am going to see her. I should have asked for her dorm number when I had the chance."

Geez, talk about messing things up. I really wish I could help Einstein out but to put it bluntly, I 

don't even know who this Jordan kid is. I mean she's in our class and all but I don't know her enough to actually ask where her room was. Doesn't it raise a stink when your friend needs help but you can't do anything about it? Luckily that statement only applies to me.

"I got this."

You can always count on Ulrich to bail you out of a nasty situation when the chips are down. Never would have figured that he knew Jeremie's mysterious lab partner. Einstein didn't bother to sweat such a small detail.

"Thanks a lot. You'll find my half of the report in a folder on top of my desk back at my room. I left the door unlock so you could just walk right in."

Weird, you'd think that if you had a room filled with all sort of precious documents and a computer that allowed you to talk to a virtual girl with pink hair in real time that locking your door would rank quiet high on the to-do list.

"Aren't you afraid of someone you don't know going inside?"

I guess Ulrich is thinking the same thing. Really this question is starting to bug me.

"I didn't think I would be here for long. You know how fast Odd eats as he chooses to inhale his food instead of chewing it like normal people."

Ehhhh, I'll give Einstein half a point for that remark. The punch line did its job but the execution was just _horrible_. This is why he should just stick to computers and leave the comic relief to the professionals. I swear, without me the entire group would just fall into the pits of dullness.

Man that sounds poetic. Better write that baby down and use it for my next English assignment. Teachers love it when you talk like that. It makes you sound smart.

"Maybe instead of sounding smart you should actually study and become smart."

Whoops, must have said that last part out loud. You gotta hand it to Ulrich, he knows when to exploit any openings for their fullest potential. While my pride was still reeling from that remark, Ulrich is already walking toward the door.

"Well, I might as well give those papers to Jordan now. The sooner she gets these the sooner we can all relax."

Don't say stuff like that. You always leave the conversation on such a serious note, like if you didn't do this simple errand the world would explode or something. Talk about being a killjoy. Oh well, nothing that a bite from Rosa's delicious blueberry muffins can't fix. Man I'm bored.

"Geez, Jeremie I'm bored."

"Well what about that special meeting Yumi has in store for us?"

I start to check my watch. Maybe time was being merciful to me and speed up at a ridiculous rate without me knowing. Oh please, please, pleeeeeeeeeease be true.

"She won't show up for another three hours."

Darn it! Why can't the laws of the space time continuum be broken when it's convenient for me? The day was dragging on like a lecture from Ms. Hertz and I had three more hours of this torture before something exciting would happen. This would be the part where I would take another bite from my muffin but I can't since I ate it all.

I could feel the restless energy building up. First it caused my finger to tap against the table; then it channeled to my feet which shot me up to a standing position. That's it! I can't take it! I'm going outside!

"Hey Odd, where you're going?"

"I need to get some air before I go insane!"

I think I saw Einstein blink a few times before I made my way to the door. I really need something fun to do. The others would kill me for wishing this but I wouldn't mind a small XANA attack right now. That would give me the perfect excuse to go to Lyoko. Maybe that's a bit too much. I think I'll just settle for another confrontation with the Troublesome Duo, they're always fun to mess with.

* * *

Jeremie lied to me. This folder was anything but easy to find. I had to sift through piles and piles of computer printouts, hand written notes and photocopied documents in order to find this thing which was a nightmare of a task. If he later ends up yelling at me for messing up his precious stack of papers then I'll just have to tell him that it was his fault for not getting this thing himself, as I'm not the one who's supposed to deliver his message.

Message...

That word brings up a lot of bad memories. Who would have thought a simple practical joke would cause me so much torment and to question my relationship with one of my closest friends? Those memories came back to me without warning as if I were to relive those moments right now.

* * *

_It all started when a folded note was slid underneath my door. Handwritten and on notebook paper, the thing look like it was created on a whim giving its message a bit of a sympathetic edge to accompany the neat cursive writing etched onto it. I read the message's words of praise and _

_admiration until the last sentence which left me dizzy from shock._

_...I love you._

_Signed,_

_Yumi_

_At that very instant every nervous blush, and embarrassing encounter that I had with her was playing through my mind allowing me to recall even the smallest details with clarity. I felt as if a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. No longer would I lose hours of sleep tossing and turning underneath my sheets, uncertainty pondering if those slight signs of affection directed toward me stemmed from romantic feelings or an innocent friendship. I could let myself go and profess to her about how these thoughts were mutual and that indeed we both wished for something closer._

_Well that's originally what I thought. It was my fault for being so gullible as to trust a piece of paper with a note that anyone could have written. Come to think of it, I've never seen Yumi's signature so I had no proof to believe that the thing was genuine. I was so willing to take its word for fact that I never even bothered to double-check its authenticity. I sure acted like an idiot back then. _

_For a brief moment in my life I was able to lower the walls surrounding my heart just a bit more than I was used to. It's not a surprise to hear that out of us six, I'm the most emotionally reserved. To wear my heart on my sleeve..., that was something I wasn't able to do for a long time. It felt great, it might have left me a bashful mess with the girl I can't stop thinking of; but I was a _happy_ bashful mess. _

_Keyword: was_

* * *

I snap out of my mini flashback before my mood worsened. Already I was at Jordan's room when things started clicking in my head. Jeremie didn't not know the number on account of a simple oversight. The reason why Jeremie did not know which room Jordan stayed at was because he _choose _not to know. Jeremie had the highest grades in school for two reasons. One, because he was just plain smart, and two because he always took the necessary steps to turn his work in on time. There had to be a valid reason why such an elementary question was never asked, and after three knocks on the door the answer came to me.

"Hey Taelia..."

And that reason was Jordan's roommate. Taelia's first day in Kadic involved an ancient piece of samurai armor coming to life, several students and faculty members being sent to the hospital, Jin almost dying from organ damage and Jeremie nearly ending up behind bars. Even when things calmed down I never really saw Jeremie make an effort to talk to the girl. On the contrary, 

it looked like he was avoiding her altogether. He must be really afraid that he might accidentally talk about or secret in her presence on account of how she looks eerily like Aelita.

How those two got along is of no consequence to me as I really don't like prying into people's personal lives. The others respect my privacy, so it only makes sense for me to do the same. I really wouldn't want any of the others to find out any of my secrets and hidden thoughts. I keep them locked away for a reason.

This is exactly why I volunteered to help Jeremie. If anything good came from Sissi's fake letter scheme, it was how the two of us met. Even though our war against XANA has lead me to make several close friends who I will never abandon; this whole fight in the end has made it even harder for me to talk to others outside of the team. On top of my own shyness, the whole secret keeping aspect of everything forces me to speak even less in the presence of others. XANA has been such a factor in our regular lives that I sometimes find myself just blurting his name without knowing it.

"...Is Jordan here?"

Taelia moves out to show me that her roommate sitting at her desk with her back facing me. I tap her shoulder as to get her attention.

"Hey Ulrich," she says in an indifferent tone. She must be working on the project as well I suppose.

My first meeting with Jordan is such a cherished memory for me. At that time I learned the value of knowing someone who was "normal". Talking about normal everyday things was so refreshing compared to the countless conversations I've had about Lyoko battles and XANA monsters. I could relax and live like everyone else, Jordan allows me to do this and I'm grateful. Well, I can think about the past on my own time. I have a job that needs finishing.

"Here, Jeremie wanted me to give this to you."

I hand Jordan the envelope and she takes it into her arms as if it were a newborn baby.

"Miles came home!"

Taelia steps in to explain this latest weird habit.

"That's what she named Jeremie's share of the assignment." Taelia giggles to herself which is starting to confuse me. "You should have been here when I first found this out. The whole time it was Miles this and Miles that. I thought she finally found a decent guy to swoon over as opposed to that Herb fellow."

"Taelia!" I can see her cheeks turn a dark shade of red. "Don't say things like that out loud!"

"Chill out, it's not like this is Ulrich's first time hearing this."

I sigh to myself. She was right about me knowing of Jordan's secret crush on the smartest member of Sissi's trio, but we've managed to keep that a secret between the three of us. It was because of this case of puppy love that the two of us became friends in the first place.

* * *

_After Jeremie sent us back to the past I had plenty of time to think about my stupid mistakes. Sure those bees would never bother anyone again and we successfully stopped one of Sissi's pesky pranks but I didn't feel like celebrating those achievements. What I choose to think of was how much of a selfish jerk I was. The lives of all my classmates were in danger and all I cared about was some stupid fake letter that was slid under my door. People were screaming in fear in the real world and I never even raised my sword!_

_When Odd was being burned alive by hornet acid, I did nothing._

_When Yumi and Aelita helplessly dodged laser fire and called my name, I did nothing._

_When Jin aimed his rifle and angrily yelled at me for ignoring his sister, I did nothing._

_Going back in time can fix a lot of things: injuries, building damages and even stupid social blunders; but what it can't take back are our memories of what really happened. What I said to Yumi on that day can never be taken back, and I'm only waiting for the moment when she rejects my feelings for her. It's only a matter of time. Sure we won but only at the last possible minute did I spring into action and save the day all by myself. Never before did doing the right thing feel so terrible. _

_I sat against a tree in the forest so I could further wallow in my own misery. School was over and my homework was done which meant I could sit and stare blankly into space until the sun rose. My secluded spot was not as isolated as I thought, as I realized someone else was with me. I heard a girl's voice coming from behind me and I slowly turned around to see what was happening. On the other side of the tree sat a girl my age writing in her notebook. One glance at her pale, orangeish-pink hair and I knew I was staring at my classmate Jordan Wild._

_Like me, she too wanted to be left alone and saw the forest as the perfect place for this. Rested on her lap was a notebook that looked worn from much use. Frantically she scribbled on its pages only to pause in between to stare blankly into the treetops. _

_I felt guilty for spying on her. Doing something so sneaky was below me and I felt no better than Sissi who would always try her best to uncover our group's secrets. No longer did I watch Jordan for I couldn't stomach my actions; that was until I heard her spoke._

"_I know things like this should be said face-to-face but I'm horribly shy and will have to put it in writing instead..."_

_What I heard was the beginning of a love letter. Eerily, it sounded like the opening sentence in the one Sissi sent me that day. I froze in place out of shock and I looked on, doing my best to not let those words remind me on how easily I fell for such a childish prank._

_Jordan still had yet to realize that someone else was with her and kept reading._

"_Not a day goes by that I don't think of you and these thoughts have driven me to the point where It's hard for me to concentrate on my studies. I should pay attention to what our teacher is saying but I can't stop myself from sneaking glances at you. I've never seen someone look so cute in green in my life."_

_She was writing about me! I could not believe my rotten luck! The whole reason why I was feeling so crummy was because I was sent a phony love letter. Just when I've managed to repair some of the emotional scars that I suffered because of Sissi's prank, I get to relive the whole wonderful experience for a second time!_

_Jordan continued narrating her thought process._

"_I'm not exactly sure what love is so I'm not going to say that my feelings for you run that deep, but I do care greatly about you. The sheer thought of talking to you warms my heart and when I see you smile it just makes me feel happy inside as well. It is my dream for the two of us to spend more time with each other both in class and during our days off. I know you have your eyes set on another girl and I'm not asking you to ditch her for me. All I want to say is that I really like you and if you were to choose me then you would make me one happy girl. Sincerely, J.W."_

_Jordan's words cut straight through me and spoke to my inner being. She was a nice girl but I really could not take her up on her offer. There was someone else I was wishing to look my way and until she rejects me I will keep hoping for the better. I didn't want her to get her hopes up for nothing so I decided to expose myself and tell her the truth. It was going to be tough for her but at least she won't embarrass herself in front of everyone else like what I did._

"_Hey Jordan."_

_As expected, she jolted out of shock and clutched her notebook to her chest. Seeing her panic was indeed a weird sight as Jordan was always praised for her cool head and unwavering resolve. _

"_H-hi Ulrich," that small stutter was all she gave me before her normal personality surfaced._

_I didn't want this awkward moment any longer so I went straight to the point. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; this was not going to be easy._

"_Listen Jordan, you're a sweet person to know and all but I can't really see myself in a relationship with you."_

_I braced myself as I knew those words were going to turn her into a crying mess. No good would come from me doing this but it was something that needed to be done._

"_Excuse me but I think you have the wrong girl."_

_As expected of Jordan. In class we would call her the "Unmovable Rock" on account that she would never lose her cool no matter what happened. It was a gift that not too many people my age had._

"_Isn't that letter you're writing right now addressed to me?" _

_That had to be the second-most boneheaded thing I said within forty-eight hours. I was already crushing her romantic dreams as is. What better way to follow up with the damages than to tell her that I was secretly watching her the entire time? Way to go Ulrich Stern, you have the right combination of being a heart breaker and a creepy stalker. _

_A fleeting blush disappeared in flash and now she rose to her feet and stared a hole through me. _

"_Let me get this straight. You think I like you?" Her voice carried an accusing tone._

_That glare sent chills down my spine. It was my turn to be the one stammering._

"_T-that's what I heard."_

"_That...is...so...funny!"_

_Those were the words she managed to squeeze through while she was double-over laughing to the point where tears were welling in her eyes._

"_Don't flatter yourself Ulrich; you're really not my type."_

_I was relieved to hear that she didn't have a crush on me. There were enough people at school stalking me already and the last thing I wanted was yet another person to deal with. However, I was almost certain that she was writing about me. This was a question that I desperately wanted to be answered so I went against my better judgment and asked._

"_In your letter you said that the person you liked looked good in green."_

"_I did but I was never talking about you in the first place. Other boys in class are allowed to wear that color as well."_

_I swallowed hard after hearing that. Again I misunderstood someone's intention when it came to this sensitive subject. I was wrong when I thought that Yumi liked me and now I was wrong for a second time with Jordan. This whole thing felt so familiar with me that it was sickening. Even if I never wanted Jordan to be my girlfriend; hearing someone say that they have no interest in me should never be something I should get used to._

_Jordan had stopped paying attention to me for her blush returned and she immediately brought up her hands to try to hide it from me. I look in the same direction to figure out what was going on and finally caught a glimpse of student who stole Jordan's heart. I saw him alright: skinny _

_frame, hair parted down the middle, face covered in acne and of course, a green sweater._

"_Herb," I said softly._

_Jordan kept her bashful look and nodded slowly._

"_Yes, I like Herb."_

_I always thought that Jordan was a sensible girl. A person who always kept their head on their shoulders and could think things through rationally. For her to choose someone from Sissi's Gang to be her boyfriend was not like her. There just had to be a reason why. I think at that moment she saw that an explanation was needed. Maybe it was the huge laugh attack she had before but at that instant she decided that she could trust me._

"_Can you keep a secret Ulrich?"_

_I swallowed again for I did not know what I was getting myself into. XANA attacks I can deal with, teenage drama was a whole different story._

"_Yes."_

"_I know Herb isn't exactly what you call 'The Perfect Man' but he has his own unique charms about him."_

"_I can't say that I agree with you. Many girls avoid him on account of the acne alone."_

"_Well I don't care what they think! If they fail to see why he's such a wonderful guy then it's their loss!"_

_The level of emotion that came with that comeback was stunning. Jordan had been thinking long and hard on this subject._

"_A handsome face is worth a dime-a-dozen here at Kadic. If you base your relationship solely on looks then its doomed from the start. All the things that people don't like about Herb: his skinniness, his "nerd" label, the acne that people are so fascinated about; those will change in due time. Herb would be the first person I'd choose to follow me around. He's smart and loyal. I've seen the awful things Sissi has done and said to him in the past, and yet he still stays by her side. A lesser man would have quit a long time ago, but Herb's better than that. He cares for her deeply and will endure anything just so he can stay by her side. Tell me Ulrich Stern, how many people you know - how many of those 'handsome faces' the girls drool over at Kadic - will do that? How many? How many!"_

_An uncomfortable still hung in the air after that speech. The lumps that had gathered in my throat made it impossible for me to speak, and all I could do was take small breaths to keep myself thinking straight. I too fell in the same category with all the shallow people Jordan hated so much. All this time I knew him I simply judged him on my first impressions and failed to see _

_the overwhelming good qualities that she saw right from the beginning. The fire that kindled in Jordan's eyes dimmed slightly once the harsh truth of liking such a person came to her. Herb was a great guy that she cherished but his heart was already reserved for someone else._

"_You do know that he still likes Sissi right?"_

"_Of course I do! That's why its so hard for me to tell him how I feel. I mean I want him to be happy but I sometimes wonder if that girl values him as much as I do. If only he knew that I existed."_

_It was getting dark and it would be only a matter of time before Jim would start checking all of the rooms to see if we were all present. I had to leave soon but before I did I wanted to leave Jordan a few words of advice._

"_I can't say what you should do but what you shouldn't do but what I can tell you is to be careful of what happens next. If you tell him what you told me and he doesn't feel the same way then it will be the most horrible feeling ever imaginable. However, not saying anything comes with its own share of problems as well. For even being rejected at least brings closure to everything. It might be a painful memory but at least you can move on with your life and stop worrying about the what-ifs. Don't rush yourself and just take your time and act when you're ready."_

_I was being more nosy with this than I should have been. When I think back to this day I kept trying to figure out what made me pry so much for so long and I think I've finally found my answer. Seeing Jordan's problems when it came to love reminded me so much about my own. Our problems were the same, just replace some names here and there and then you can see that we're acting out the same story except that I don't want any closure with mine. As long as it keeps on going maybe things will actually play out in my favor. I can daydream can't I?_

* * *

"Are you daydreaming again Ulrich?"

My mind comes back to the present.

"Oops sorry."

"Wow, two daydreamers in my dorm. Why do I make friends with the absent-minded."

Leave it to Taelia to choose this moment to make a wisecrack about our situation. No matter where I go and who I hang out with, there's always someone who has to makes jokes at my expense.

"Hey!" We both yell back at the same time causing us to both laugh together. In order to calm herself down, Jordan grabs her beloved Gir stuffed animal and gives it a firm hug.

"Well excuse me you two, I was just trying to have some fun."

The comment is forgotten for Jordan's desire to work is kicking into gear. Already she's looking at "Miles" to see if Jeremie did everything he needed to do. I can tell when someone needs to be left alone so I use that as my excuse to leave but before I leave I need to get back at Taelia real quick. I remember how she reacted when Jeremie first talked to her and how peeved off she got with his simple questions. I just gotta see them for myself firsthand.

"Hey Taelia, did I ever tell you that you look very familiar to me?"

That came out a whole lot smoother that I thought it would. Odd's gift for telling jokes must be rubbing off on me.

"Oh geez, that was so lame. I thought I could just live out my days here in peace without hearing that tired old pick-up line."

I smile again. I'm glad that Jeremie gave me this chance to catch up with Jordan. I wonder what the others are doing now?

* * *

I'm soooooooooo bored. Really bored.

Eating breakfast did not kill as much time as I was hoping and now I'm a bored kid with a full stomach. I check my watch, yep there's still two hours left until we meet. Why oh why Yumi? Why did you schedule this so far away? You're killing me here.

I don't know how, but my aimless pacing sent me back to the outside of the dorms. Since I'm here, what can I do to kill time? Hmmm, well hanging out with Ulrich and Einstein is out of the question. I could play around with Kiwi for a while but he's sleeping and would be cranky.

Maaaaaan, did I tell you I was bored? If not I will say this, I...AM...B-O-R-E-D.

"Is there anything fun out there for me?"

"Who are you talking to Odd?"

I really gotta be careful on what I say out loud but I'm glad that only one person heard my plea. Though I'm completely clueless on who that is. Let me put a name to the voice.

"Hey there Milly."

Really I guessed before I turned around but I was right. Chalk that up to good luck. Gotta make some small talk or else she's going to think I'm acting weird.

"So what's up?"

"Just taking a break from writing for the school paper. Thought I could get some fresh air. To tell you the truth it's kinda feeling a bit dull right now."

Bingo Odd! You found something fun to do, take the bait and ask.

"Hey, maybe I can give you company when you get back to work. If anything, just to bounce creative ideas off of."

"That sounds great."

Wow, the last time I saw Milly this happy was when Ulrich agreed to be her date for the prom. I could tell she wanted to get back to writing on account she was running as fast as she could get back to her computer. That girl can run fast when she wants to. She should try out for the track team next year as we got to her dorm ridiculously quick. Ok, either she's just a gifted runner or its true that all reporters have super powers: Clark Kent, Peter Parker, Vic Sage, Ran Hibiki; see a pattern here?

"Tamiya, I'm back!"

"Hey Milly. Hey Odd." She greets us with a quick glance before she shifts her attention back toward the footage being replayed on her camera.

I make myself comfortable and grab a nearby chair so I could rest my feet while Milly goes back to her computer. Even though I was invited to come here I can't help but feel like I'm being an intruder. Whenever those two worked together a special kind of energy hung in the air that was unique to them and them only.

Being the official reporters for Kadic, Milly and Tamiya were a bit more known around campus compared to your average student. In addition to occasional waves and smiles, their position also gave them a jealous enemy by the name of Sissi Delmas. Mainly she makes insults about their age and lack of maturity, like she's the one to talk. I just wish she could wise up and really see how cool of a pair Milly and Tamiya really are, like I've done.

An instant message is sent Milly's way and she let's everyone know so.

"This is crazy!"

* * *

"_This is crazy!"_

_Those three words sure took me back. That's exactly what she screamed when she saw the pile of rubble blocking us from the exit. I didn't expect to find anyone else in the dorms when I first ran in to save Kiwi after Mr. Delmas ordered that evacuation but things never go smoothly for us. I thought I could just walk out the same way I came in but XANA had other plans and he let me know of this by wrecking the staircase. Yeah, that guy can be pretty direct when he wants to be._

_The entire building began to shake like a bad serving of Jello at the cafeteria but that was the least of our worries. The mini-earthquake had damaged the floor section which made it give way, turning it into a gigantic slide. I remember Jim scolding us for treating the place like a playground but this was ridiculous... yeah that was cliché, I know. XANA's ultrasounds had managed to turn our dorm building into his own little deranged fun house of death like the kind I saw on TV 'cept this one had less buzzsaws and evil puppets. The three of us were all doing our best Spiderman impression and stuck to the floor so that we wouldn't slide off. We were safe, but for how long I couldn't tell. _

_For the first time in a long while I was scared. Not the good kind of scared you get when you watch a classic horror movie marathon with the lights out but the kind of scared that makes your knees shake and your heart beat just a little bit faster. If I messed up now, not only could I die but also Milly, Tamiya and Kiwi. Being responsible for the safety of three other people is enough to make anyone's teeth start chattering. _

_I know I'm going to sound stupid for admitting this but I never really saw XANA attacks that dangerous, in fact I welcomed them. Whenever he decided to rear his ugly head I could count on having an excuse for going to Lyoko and wasting a few baddies while doing the latest set of extreme tricks I've managed to pick up. Not to mention whenever we returned to the past whatever goof ups and bad things that came my way before I could easily fixed. Believe me when I say that XANA is one of the reasons why I've managed to pass Ms. Hertz's multiple choice exams. There's only so many times I can circle A and get it wrong before I learn the right answer._

_No, this was different, now I'm the one in danger. Real danger is a whole lot scarier than virtual violence. Losing all your life points here meant getting a whole lot more than just the "Game Over" screen. The next move I was going to make had a lot riding on it so it had to be good. When the floor you were standing on takes a dive bomb, it's about time to head for higher ground or in this case lower ground._

"_It's not safe here. We have to cross over to the other side. If we stay, we're finished."_

"_Are you out of your mind Odd?!" Tamiya yelled back. "That's gotta be a ten meter drop!"_

_What I was asking for those two to do ranked pretty high on the "Crazy Meter" I'll admit but if I didn't do anything that would motivate them to move then things would get ugly. I'd be a liar if I said that I wasn't scared of my own idea but I had to put on a brave face. If there was one thing about being a hero I learned it was to never let anyone else know how frightened you really were._

"_Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I know this sounds crazy, but you gotta trust me on this. We'll make I through, I promise you that."_

_When you ask someone to do something totally stupid, talk is cheap. Gotta show them that I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. I made sure that Kiwi was secure in my arms before _

_I let gravity do its work and slid down. I could see the ground coming up closer and I held Kiwi tighter for the landing was not going to be graceful. I shot over the wide gap underneath me when I ran out of floor to slide across and touched down without a scratch._

"_Odd!" They yelled out._

_I set Kiwi on the floor and looked up. The height difference between us was a whole lot bigger than I had imagined but the big gaping pitfall at the edge of my feet was a whole lot scarier to look at. _

"_Ok you two, it's your turn now."_

_Tamiya didn't need much coaxing but Milly was different. _

"_I know you're scared but you need to come down here. Things are going to get ugly fast and I would really hate to see you get hurt."_

_Poor girl, she really was scared and here I thought that watching her best friend and my handsome self take the plunge would be enough proof that this thing was a walk in the park._

"_I-"_

_The building shook again, much harsher than before. That was the final push that got Milly's rear end in gear. It was a real nail bitter I tell you; the kind of scene in a movie where you just stare with your mouth gaping open with bits of popcorn falling from the side. I had full faith that she was going to be fine but those nerves were still there in full force. When her feet had hit floor I think that's when I allowed myself to exhale but I wasn't let off the hook so easily. Milly didn't do a great job sticking her landing and started flailing her arms wildly to regain her footing. In the world of gymnastics such a mistake would result in only a two point deduction from the judges but over at Kadic, you might fall to your death. _

_To those of you who're expecting a gore-fest, I'm sorry to disappoint. No one's going to die on my watch and my lightning fast reflexes had once again saved the day. Gravity didn't stand a chance once I grabbed on Milly's arm and pulled her away from the edge. The worst was far from over but at least the tension had eased up just a tad bit. Already I was thinking of our next escape plan but I just couldn't think straight. Someone was typing away at their keyboard and it was seriously cramping my style._

_Wait, I don't remember standing next to a computer during all this._

* * *

I snap out of my daze to see Milly hacking away at her keyboard at a pace that could bring a smile to Einstein's face. I have no idea how much time passed since I took that little trip down memory lane so I ask.

"Hey, how long was I staring off into space."

Tamiya knows fully well that I'm talking to her and she spins her chair around to look me right in the eye.

"You mean when you were doing your best impression of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car?"

That analogy was a bit too morbid for me but I roll with the punches.

"Yeah."

"Oh about fifteen seconds. I was checking the timer on my camera at that exact moment."

Man, if time flies when you're having fun, then it must drag when you're reliving a XANA attack while giving a really deep mental monologue to an imaginary studio audience. Why producers resort to such a gimmick to pad their shows, I'll never know.

Tamiya can sense that I'm about to ask another stupid question and leans in to give me the straight talk before I even open my mouth.

"You're probably going to ask why she's so excited huh?"

I keep my trap shut just to be funny and give her a nod.

"There's only one reason why she'd be so lively. It's probably Vafer."

As a prouder reader of the school newspaper, I didn't need a refresher course on who that guy is. He might be just a guest writer with no real affiliation to the press staff but you can always count on him to submit something with each new edition. He's an excellent writer, I'll give him that, but that's all anybody knows about him.

The gears in my head were rotating now. This is a rare chance for me to get a little more about Kadic's little ghost writer straight from one of the people who know him the most. I'm not planning to throw these bits of info to all the gossip queens, I'm just curious. I am dressed up as a cat in Lyoko after all.

"How long have you two been working with him?"

Tamiya puts her hands on her hips and gives me a bit of a glare but she then smiles once she realizes that I could keep a secret.

"Well he's always been indirectly involved with the school paper but it's only been a few months since he's really stepped up with his material."

"Wait, indirectly involved? How the heck can someone be indirectly involved with the paper?"

"It's not like he automatically wrote those long essays from get go. In the beginning he started off small, you know typical stuff: writing to the staff, leaving suggestions and making little reviews about movies that would come out. It was easy to recognize his entries. I mean he signed them all with the name 'Vafer' for crying out loud. That's a name that you don't easily forget. Then things started to change."

See, this would be the moment when the creepy foreboding music would start playing in movie land but this is real life and real life never comes with a soundtrack. What a bummer.

Tamiya looks up at the ceiling either she was going to tell me on killer of a story... or else she was just trying to remember what happened. Knowing my rotten luck she was doing the second thing.

"Changes? Now you better tell me something good if you're going to work a dramatic pause like that."

Oh please Tamiya, tell me that you got some serious dirt on Vafer that's gonna blow me away like him being an alien, time traveler or an ESPer.

"The writings that Vafer submitted to the paper began to shift in focus. They grew longer and longer and addressed topics and became more insightful, like social commentary. We first noticed this when he talked about a small student movement who were trying to get their confiscated cell phones back."

I remember reading that article. It was when XANA used our school's antenna to get control of a high-tech military satellite. Now I know what you're thinking. "But Odd, didn't you go back in time and post that little flier up on the school cafeteria to stop something like that from happening." Well anonymous poster, the answer is yes but in another classroom a few kids ignored our advice and got their mobiles taken away. Those students try to organize a small movement but was nowhere as successful as Sissi's when she did the same thing. As a result Vafer wrote that very same article to share his beliefs with the rest of the school's. Just goes to show you that even with a Return to the Past Trip, we can't completely stop certain things happening.

"And pretty much after that he's been writing seriously for the paper."

"It's amazing really. Vafer is able to see the problems that go by unnoticed and address them with a sense of honesty that makes his words sound sincere instead of arrogant. Talent like that is hard to teach as our editor once said. He's a real natural."

Milly picks up on her partner's comments and joins in on the conversation as to make sure my view of Vafer would not be distorted.

"Pretty much now we've been letting him submit his own articles and evaluate our own. We ran this idea by the editor and he's completely fine with it."

"Whoa, he's actually going to be a full-fledged writer for the paper?!"

I gotta give the guy my respect. To go from casual reader to full time staff member is quiet the jump if you ask me.

"Well, yes and no. He's not a featured staff member per say but he does have a bit more leeway when it comes to the length of his articles along with their subject matter. He still operates on his on schedule and can submit something when he wants to."

"I bet he was excited when you told him all that."

"Not really..."

Milly lowers her head and begins tapping her fingertips uneasily against each other.

"We haven't told him his yet. I...I...really wish I could see his face when I break the news to him. He's a real fascinating person to talk to."

Is she blushing?! I want to say something but Tamiya is just too quick for me.

"You're blushing Milly. Oh my, wouldn't that make Ulrich jealous."

My roommate better watch out as he's got some competition now if he wants to steal this girl's heart though I'm just kidding. I can see that Milly's obvious crush on him is slowly starting to fade to just simple admiration. After those two went out to the prom, I think she could tell that he's saving his heart for a certain Japanese girl. I have to admit though, this Vafer dude sounds like quiet the fellow to meet. Wonder what's up with the whole dual identity thing anyway? Watch, he's even going to go as far as to change his appearance by wearing glasses. This would be utterly cool if that really happened.

The cell phone in my pocket beeps loudly. I kinda forgot how I set an alarm for myself for today's meeting and I'm making sure that I show up on time because the suspense of it all is just driving me bat crazy.

"And that's my signal to get out of here. Nice talking to you girls, it's been a real time killer."

Tamiya gives me a small wave goodbye and her partner is too busy talking to her online friend to care about me leaving. Oh boy, this better be good.

* * *

Aniki and I arrived at the tree fifteen minutes early. We finally had some time off and I was going to make sure that our little break would be well spent. I hope the guys remembered to wear something they can move around in or else things are going to get a bit tough for them.

"So you're ready for this?"

As always I have to speak over the music playing in his ear. I've never seen someone wear a pair of headphones as long as he does, amazing how his hearing is still in good condition.

"Course I am sis! Who do you take me for?"

Not a day goes by that I'm not grateful that Aniki came back home after spending two years in the United States. Before then I used to take advantage of his presence and never saw how much I really valued him as an older brother. The other girls in class say that they envy how close we are. We never fight, and we look out for each other. They ask me how it's possible for the two of us and I really don't have an answer for them. Then again, things were not always like this. There was a point in my life where I was hesitant to call Jin Aniki but that's something I don't want to think about.

Jeremie is the first to show up which surprises no one. Good, he's wearing his gray PE outfit as he knows that capris and a turtleneck are not the most ideal clothes to bring if you want maximum movement. Odd's next which is a huge shocker to say the least. Mister Tardy himself is actually on time for once in his life. Either he's changing his bad habits or is just curious on what I'm planning.

He has to be curious.

"I can't take it any longer Yumi! Oh please you gotta give me some answers. You just gotta!"

"Wow, I'm amazed that you've arrived on time."

I can just see the sadness in his eyes when I don't tell him what he wants. I'm stalling purposely just so he can anguish in his excitement just a bit more. He's always giving me grief about having a crush on Ulrich so it's only fair that I turn the tables on him when I get a chance. This is quite satisfying.

"Oh c'mon."

He's really squirming now. Geez, I didn't think he'd get this worked up. Now I really got to rub it in.

"Hey everyone."

Ulrich chooses this very moment to show up looking without a care in the world walking in his typical "Ulrich Pose." You know the deal: head bowed, shoulders slightly slumped and both hands in his pockets. Just one glance his way and I could see that something was on his mind.

It's the look on his face that gave it away really. Even when he called us out you could tell that his focus wasn't toward us or anything part of the outside world for he's looking within. Of course if I ask him if something is wrong he'd just deny it. He's not the type of person who 

would share his problems with others as he doesn't want to burden them. Such a gesture is so sweet in yet a sad way. It sort of reminds me of someone else I know a certain older brother who's always wearing red and insists on rolling up the left sleeve of his jacket. I look into his sad green eyes as if doing so will tell me what I want to find out.

His deep...emerald...gentle eyes.

Whoa wait Yumi, watch yourself! You can't be thinking of stuff like that especially in front of the guys. You have an important lesson to teach.

"YUMI!!"

I can no longer bring myself to ignore Odd's pleading and when I say that what I really mean is that I've ran out of valid excuses to delay my "special event."

"After all the XANA attacks that have came our way, I think it's important that we all had a self-defense brush up session but before we're caught off guard again."

Did I see Odd jump six feet in the air? "Pick on Yumi Week" must have done more damage to me than I originally thought.

"It's about time we had one of these things! We were about to a while back but Jeremie showed us his wonderful ability in recreating test tubes and the whole thing was dropped. I got a few new moves that I'm dying to show off."

"But before we actually get to the sparing, Aniki and I have a little lecture to give to you all."

I think Odd's heart just broke.

"Don't worry, we'll get to the good stuff later. It's just that there are a few thoughts on fighting theory that we'd like to share with you all."

He shrugs his shoulders. Boy, that was a fast recovery.

"As expected from our battle commander."

"Battle commander?" I say again.

I know he's joking but it's still pretty strange to be addressed in such a manner. Ever since we started fighting in Lyoko we've always wondered about who we saw as the role of the leader. It was never a big deal or anything, as we saw each other as equals, but the issue keeps coming up from time to time and it's really getting quite bothersome. Of course I knew he was joking.

Aniki's eyes just light up like fireworks after hearing this and I prepare myself for the worst.

"We have job descriptions now!" He's really beside himself with joy. "Can I be the doctor?" 

Before we all can decipher the meaning of the request, Aniki shifts a majority of his weight to the side as if he was resting on an invisible cane. His expression darkens and he gives us all a steely look. Oh no, I know what's coming up next.

"It's not Lupus."

He finishes his little impression of the famous TV doctor by miming to swallow a dosage of Vicodin. We all sigh at his antics and then the lesson begins.

* * *

Honestly folks, I thought I did a great Greg House impression; oh never mind. When sis told me that she wanted to have a small training session in the forest I told her it would be a great idea. Thinking of my limited experiences with her friends I can never recall a time where all of us had a good scrap in the name of bettering ourselves.

It takes a special type of courage to fight in the real world. In Lyoko you're pumped up with cheat codes: extra health, super radar, super speed, ultra endurance, painkillers and weapon upgrades. On Earth we're forced to fight "fair" and let's not forget that we're not exactly fighting humans either. My first encounter had me up against a giant teddy bear that smacked a chair at me! Ask your sensei what to do when you're fighting a bulldozer or a mutant rat army. Go ahead. I triple-dog-dare you to get up from your chair, pick up the phone and ask your local martial arts teacher this very same question.

Wait, I change my mind! Oh please don't leave me.

Whew thanks, you scared me for a second. Now what was my old train of thought? Oh yeah! Virtual reality fighting.

As I was saying, you can't make the same mistakes on Earth as on Lyoko as out there the words "Game Over" mean a whole lot more. When sis and I fought that weird clone of her we barely escaped with our lives. We all need this special session.

Sis cuts right to the chase and begins talking.

* * *

"Today's lecture, Aniki and I will highlight the difference between using your arms and using your legs. As you all know, in the real world of martial arts using different limbs is like wielding a unique weapon. Although they are all connected to your body, it is of utmost importance to learn their unique qualities in order to get a better understanding of your own abilities."

Yumi and Jin, it only makes sense that those two would have such a deep understanding of the martial arts. Being the one with the least experience here it was great to see them present their expertise in a more formal manner.

"Arm strikes are usually simplistic and very effective to use..."

It didn't shock any of us to see Yumi spearheading this portion of the presentation. Whenever I would watch her practice I would always be in awe of her powerful and graceful movements. Each strike carried untold amounts of strength yet she still would wear the most peaceful expression I'd see in my life.

"When talking about arm strikes, most people think of the simple punch. However do not neglect the other areas where you can make contact with your opponent: forearms, elbows and your palms. Besides this, it is possible to use your hands to grapple your opponent which is vital if you wish to employ the use of throws and counters within your fighting style."

Oh boy, I can already tell what's going to happen. Things are going to get messy.

"Don't neglect the use of your lower body sis..."

Jin can get riled up so easily at times it's kind of pathetic. When Yumi gave her little lecture you could easily tell that she intended to provoke her brother's competitive spirit. He's so proud of his passions and will not hesitate to defend them in an overly emotional manner.

"Kicks are naturally stronger than punches and have great range due to their length. Plus with kicks it's much easier to attack your opponent's legs thus immobilizing them for your finishing strike."

"Of course what Aniki fails to mention is that it's much easier to evade a kick rather than a punch on account that they're easier to spot. Those flashy leaping roundhouses of yours look pretty but if they don't connect then they're just for show."

She's doing this intentionally, that's the only sane conclusion I can come up with. Indeed this has to be sibling rivalry in the purest form. Quite the touching sight.

"Then again sis forgets how easily you can cripple another person's offense with a simple kick to their legs!"

Oh dear, it's safe to say that the Ishiyama siblings were no longer trying educate us on fighting theory and were more interested in besting each other.

"Maybe we should skip to sparring sis?"

"My thoughts exactly!" Yumi's reply came with a little smirk that she only uses when her competitive spirit. "Let's see what you learned in America when you face off against Ulrich."

"Ulrich?"

"Why not?"

I see that Ulrich is already in his fighting stance and calmly waits for his opponent to prepare himself. Not even a second after Jin is ready for combat do I notice the younger fighter making the first move. A powerful roundhouse kick strikes the oldest team member square in the jaw. I'm really glad that whenever we spar we make a cautious effort not to hit each other with full force so that no one is seriously injured. Still, holding back or not that kick had enough force behind it to show his opponent that this was a serious fight.

Whenever our group has a sparring session like this I make sure to take notes on all the matches I watch, this one being no exception. Although fighting on Earth and in Lyoko possess different dynamics, the overarching strategies of combat are quiet similar. To win in a fight one must control space, flow and seize openings wherever they appear. If I can understand and analyze the flow of a battle then I can better understand the tactics XANA uses to counter us whenever he attacks.

That reminds me. I should thank Jin someday for letting borrow his copy of The Art of War.

If I were Ulrich, my first instinct would to be to capitalize the disorientation my opponent is currently feeling by unleashing another powerful attack. Seeing Ulrich chamber his back leg for another roundhouse sent chills down my spine.

I can't believe this. I actually read and predicted the flow of the battle accurately. Did that just happen because of my studying? If that is true then this is great. Maybe I can do more for my friends then just sit in a chair with my fingers crossed. There's only one way to find out if my readout was a fluke or not and that is through more observation.

Ulrich's opening kick really put Jin in a bad spot as he's practically defenseless for the next attack and if he gets hit more one time I would feel the compelling urge to stop them myself. Already I see Ulrich's foot in mid-air flying toward the same spot he struck before. Out of nowhere Jin lashes his leg out and smashes itself into the other limb before any damage can be done. Ulrich is still pushing his offense and fires off three more kicks with this same leg which are aimed at Jin's leg, torso and chest. Even under such an intense barrage of strikes Jin manages to still counter all the blows coming his way with just his right leg.

I can't believe what I'm seeing. Even though his is a training session, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that those two are getting pretty serious as they were mirroring the other's stance perfectly. I think it is safe to say that this fight is far from over.

* * *

Odd told me Jin loved to use his legs a lot when fighting but I never would have thought that he would use them for defense as well. No time to admire his technique, if I don't take away his momentum soon, I'm going to lose the small lead I gained. All I have to do is get back into my normal stance and I can resume my offense.

Jin lowers his leg only to chamber it for a quick roundhouse that smacks into my chest and I take a step backwards to recover my balance. He's fast I'll give him that but in all honesty that kick 

was really weak. I've seen his type of fighter before; quick attacks, solid technique but almost no power. The kind of person who has to throw out twice as many hits before they can put someone down.

Crud! I just misjudged my situation because right now I'm looking at the bottom of Jin's foot as it flies toward my face coming from an impressive sidekick. If he leaves a shoe print behind then that I'm really going to be mad.

WHAM!

Ok now, that hurt! He actually managed to hit me in the forehead but I can't stop now to collect myself. I need to shake the cobwebs out now or else I'm going to be nothing more than just a punching bag to this guy. Don't think too hard Ulrich, that's not your strongest point. Keep an open mind, wait for an opening then let him have it.

There!

I don't contemplate my actions and just go for the attack. My front snap kick catches Jin right in the chest and makes him take a few steps back so that he can catch his breath. This is it, now I turn this whole thing around. I'll show the new guy that just because I'm a younger than him doesn't mean I'm no pushover. No more cheap shots, time to go all out.

Eh? That's quite strange, Yumi is running over here. Wonder what she wants from us?

* * *

This little sparring session has taken a turn to the absurd. Ulrich and Jin are both laying on the floor after being blindsided by Yumi and Odd. I did not see this coming, not at all.

"Hey why the sneak attack? I thought this was supposed to be a fair fight." I yell out to the two.

"It is, Einstein!" Odd hollers back. "Yumi wanted to switch dance partners. I happily agreed."

Odd's smile only made that statement that much more creepy but I keep my mouth shut and continue to watch the fight. Ulrich is the first to recover and quickly takes the offense by throwing out a left hook which Odd barely manages to duck in time only to counter with a handstand kick to the chin.

Both Ulrich and I are too stunned to comment. Such a coordinated maneuver was never used by Odd before as he had a more traditional fighting style much like his roommate. A shiver ran down my spine, he's trying something new.

"You like?" He taunts, still supporting himself with one arm and wearing a cheerful smile. His second hand presses against the pavement allowing him to generate momentum so that he could spin on the palms of his hands.

A mental image of a helicopter's propeller shoots into my mind as I watch this furious barrage of spinning kicks smash into Ulrich's forearms threatening to break his guard any minute. It was no secret that Odd loved to flaunt is break-dancing talents but now he's wielding those dynamic movements for a brawl rather than a dance off. In the back of my mind a little voice is constantly reminding about the match between Yumi and Jin going on concurrently but I could care less for it.

"Capoeria?!" Jin yells in astonishment. His overexcited exclamation causes me to finally look away just in time to watch our oldest team member take a back shoulder thrust to the chest.

Yumi wouldn't let such a wide opening slip by her and she smiles as she watches her brother fall to the floor. Already I'm thinking the fight is over. Yumi's shoulder thrust is one of her best techniques. In the hands of an amateur like me, it was able to force open a jammed door; I shudder to think at the damage an expert fighter like her can cause.

Jin doesn't hit the ground all the way. Quickly he puts his hands behind his head kicks his feet into the air in order to get back on his feet. His right leg lashes out into a powerful back kick that connects cleanly with Yumi's shoulder, pushing her back a couple of feet.

"I'm going to be feeling that one in the morning sis." Jin compliments.

I see that mischievous grin creep on Yumi's face.

"Well it's your fault for not paying attention to the fight."

He shrugs.

"Heh, I'm a dance fan, so sue me."

Goosebumps crawl over my arms as I watch this fight unfold. Yumi and Jin always got along so well unlike a good portion of the siblings at Kadic so to see them fight each other with such intensity is an eye opener at least.

They clash again, their opposite styles and methods being put to work in ways my limited knowledge of martial arts could not comprehend. I see legs meet forearms, punches barely grazing necks, it's too surreal for me. Yumi lands a heavy chop right to the side of her brother's head while being kicked in the mid-section at the same time. The two twins back off from each other and take a huge breath to calm themselves at the same time.

Suddenly Jin switches his stance and already I'm trying my best to figure out his strategy. Let's see, strong legs that are deeply rooted to the floor, one extended arm bent at a ninety degree angle….oh my gosh! That's Yumi's stance! A stance suited for a rock solid defensive game ready to exploit holes in the enemy's technique.

I'm almost too stupefied to pay attention to what Yumi is doing and I see she has adopted Jin's bouncy, quick stepping footwork. Within a blink of an eye, I have seen the Ishiyama twins 

switch fighting styles as if it's the easiest thing in the world. I can feel the grass and soil underneath my fingertips as I grip the ground in excitement. What sort of crazy results would such a reckless gamble yield?

Apparently, it would be laughter.

"Is that how I stand, Aniki?" Is the question Yumi manages to force out while still clutching her sides in laughter. "It's so sloppy! I can knock you down with just my index fighter."

"Oh yeah?" Jin snorts. "Wearing thick boots is quite counter-productive to bouncing around. You're as agile as a block of lead with those things."

Laughter is indeed infectious. No sooner did a few giggles escape from the twins, then Odd, Ulrich and me hit the ground from a case of the sillies. We could all agree that our training session is now over.

* * *

Jeremie went back to his room while Odd and Aniki went to look for more ways to pass the time. That just leaves Ulrich and I alone at the park bench we like to meet at every morning. When I was watching him spar against Odd I could see the slight hesitations in his attacks which can only mean there was something big on his mind.

Our breaths are still a bit heavy from all the training we did so to just sit down and relax is perfectly fine by me. Ulrich squeezes his hand into a fist. I begin to worry.

"Something on your mind?"

I see him trying to sort the thoughts out in his head so that he can express his concerns easily. He looks so cute right now.

No Yumi, keep your head straight.

I haven't mentioned this to anyone before so I beg of you to keep it a secret please. This vulnerable side he unconsciously displays is one of the most endearing qualities about him. Ulrich has every reason in the world to have an ego to rival Sissi's. He's a star soccer player, boyishly cute and has a gentle personality. At first I hung around him just because of my obligations to help out with XANA, but as I spent more and more time with him, I couldn't help but be drawn to him. Just thinking more about Ulrich is causing me to blush a bit.

"Here."

I take a water bottle from my backpack and hand it to him in order to help him collect his thoughts and to divert attention from my flustered face.

"Thanks Yumi."

He takes a quick sip which is more than enough time for me to "recover." He talks again.

"It's just that I'm sorry for what I said when Sissi wrote that fake letter. You must have felt really awkward there."

Awkward is a bit of an understatement there.

"I think it's best if we don't talk about it."

Ulrich wears a smile that shows both relief and disappointment at my suggestion. Yeah I know, this is a real stupid move on my part. That day was pretty much him confessing his love for me and I ignored the issue. I would always wonder what he felt about me and yet even with such a clear sign I'm still did not tell him about my feelings. I guess the whole notion of having a romantic relationship scares me a bit more than I originally thought. It's best that we stay friends in order to keep things simple between us.

"Did you have fun sparring against Odd?"

Ulrich excitedly talks about his match and I get to share his enthusiasm. It is only a matter of time before we start acting like our normal selves and pass the time just talking about nothing.

If only we can stay this carefree and close forever. I smile and look toward the red and orange sky. This had been one great day.

END

* * *

Sorry for the slow update its just that real life keeps getting in my way. This by far is an experimental chapter in The Retelling Series as it both conveys a new storyline while at the same time briefly touching upon the episodes "Swarming Attack", "The Trap" and "Just in Time." I know I cheated you out of three potential Retellings but as I watched these episodes, I could not think up of as many variations to the central storyline as I did with past chapters so instead of just rehashing the plot I decided to make this original episode.

However the other reason why I did such a move is because I needed to get those episodes out of the way in order to make way for the next big chapter I will write. Now, I won't go into too many details but I will say you will get answers. I'm not telling you what answers but you will get some.

Thanks to Zeakari who let me use her ACC Jordan Wilde as she won my last art contest.


	21. Episode 15: Laughing Fit Part 1

**Special Thanks:**

To all those who still love reading a fanfic series that's well over a year old.

**Disclaimer:**

If you're going to sue me Moonscope then let me tell ya, you're not going to get a lot from my empty wallet.

* * *

Episode 15: Laughing Fit

Yumi woke from her slumber two hours before her alarm had sounded. Sleep had not come easily for her as she found herself spending more time staring blankly at her bedroom's ceiling then in actual slumber. This would mark the seventh day of her long streak of restless nights that had been plaguing her. The reason for her unrest did not lie within the confines of her social life nor anything pertaining to the world academics. No, this underlying problem was something she had faced before but was still a potent force to reckon with.

Her parents had been fighting again.

Sure they argued in the past but for some reason the current spat they were embroiled was the most heated of them all. Even behind closed doors, Yumi could hear their constant bickering while she prepared herself to go to sleep and would resort to covering her head with a pillow to drown the voices out. The peaceful tranquility that a normal family household was shattered as the entire Ishiyama household became swept with an entire torrent of ill feelings.

Already Yumi made her way downstairs as she was far too restless to go back to sleep. She figured she might as eat a quick meal and get ready for school but was shocked to see her mother over the stove preparing breakfast.

"M-mom," was all that the surprised girl managed to blurt out.

A small smile flashed her way.

"I guess I'm not the only early bird here."

The shock still had yet to subside and the Japanese girl remained quiet even when her mom placed two hot pancakes on her plate.

"Trouble sleeping?"

Yumi nodded. The ill feelings that lurked within the walls of their household slowly sunk their deep fangs into the slightly pleasant mood that Mrs. Ishiyama had established. No longer could she hold onto her tiny smile.

"I'm sorry about all of this."

The apology was heartfelt and sincere. As a mother she knew that no child should ever have to endure such a harsh time but her daughter still remained unresponsive. Although she was desperate in wanting to have Yumi to believe in her reassurance, Mrs. Ishiyama understood that she needed some personal space, just like her son.

"Should I wake up Aniki?"

It was a strange question to ask given how they were conducting their morning routine earlier than usual. Still the family was together so he should be included.

"Actually, he already left for school."

That was certainly the last answer she was expecting. A quick glance at the area where they kept all of their shoes revealed that her brother's sneakers were missing; along with the shoes of her father.

"Did dad already leave for work as well?"

The sound of additional food being prepared died down as Yumi watched her mother set aside her cooking utensils and bow her head.

"Your father won't be coming home for a few days. He's staying with a friend."

"He's what?!"

Such a reaction was on that the older women anticipated.

"I didn't have a say. He just packed his clothes and went out the door."

Warning bells rang in Yumi's mind as this was the first time her parents' arguing had escalated to the point where it was physically impossible for the adults to live under the same room. Such drastic actions were the foundations of many divorces she read about were built on. Sure their relationship was rocky at times but what she saw did not warrant full blown separation.

"And you just let him leave!?!"

Deep down inside Mrs. Ishiyama too was cursing at her own weakness. However in the realm of human interaction such things were unavoidable.

"It's not that simple Yumi."

"Does Aniki know?"

A brief pause in the conversation had occurred when Jin was brought into it a second time. This particular mourning yielded certain significance to the young man and she would do everything in her power not to add to his misery.

"It's best you don't tell him that right now."

"Don't tell Aniki?! Are you implying that he doesn't have the right to know about this?"

Something was not right about her mom. Why of all things would she request to keep such a dramatic event a secret from her brother? He was family. The entire absurdity of the situation was almost comical in a sick surreal sense.

"It's what's best for him."

"What's best for him is that he knows the truth!"

"Yumi, do you know what today is!"

The firmness that question was asked caused the young girl to be quiet out of obedience as if she was being scolded. Her mom would only use that tone of voice whenever she did something bad and it seemed like she was being reprimanded for her faulty memory. Slowly she turned her head toward the calendar posted in the kitchen which had the day's date circled in red. It was the only reminder that she needed to know of its significance.

"Today marks the third year since Aniki's accident right?"

A solemn nod came from Yumi's mother which joined her own sad expression. It was safe to say that her brother's sunny disposition would not been seen for a while.

* * *

Odd had read several stories of people who had dreams that were so realistic that they question the very fabric of reality once they wake from their slumber. Watching Ms. Hertz doubled over in laughter was one of those surreal moments that made him pinch himself multiple times to make sure he was part of the conscious collective.

Right next to him sat Jeremie who was also completely stupefied by the sight of his science teacher having a severe case of the giggles.

"Wow, look at her go. I've never seen her laugh this much."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he said while shaking his finger. "The real strange part is the fact we've never seen her laugh at all. Sometimes I think that the powers that be forgot to even give her a funny bone to tickle."

Any other day such snide comments would be picked up by Ms. Hertz sensitive ears but given her present condition it was almost as if she was giving the class an opportune time to make as many jokes as they want as they would not be easily heard. However there was an important lesson to be learned this day so they braced themselves for whatever information came their way.

"The substance I just inhaled was nitrogen peroxide which is better known as laughing gas…"

It was really difficult to get any sort of information from Ms. Hertz as whenever she would try to get an informative point across, a huge burst of laughter would be heard just moments later. Several students set their pencils down as they saw the futility of their efforts, Odd being one of them.

"You can see why this gas is used sometimes in hospitals to relax patients right before surgery."

Odd rolled his eyes. "Yeah because everyone needs a laughing attack right after an appendix attack."

The unorthodox lecture continued. "But let's try to stay serious here." The collective reaction of the classroom was that of uncertainty, it was quiet a perplexing command to follow. "In high the gas can be toxic. It can evoke serious changes in perception and cause severe lesions in the nervous system so it can be possible to laugh yourself to death!"

Ms. Hertz was racked again by another huge laughing attack. With that latest chuck of information Jeremie was seriously contemplating calling 9-1-1 just in case the situation became worse.

"There's only thing that can neutralize the gas, water. You only need one drop to volatilize it."

The bottle of water on her desk was immediately seized and its contents were consumed by the giggling teacher. Its effectiveness was not overhyped. Seeing how quickly his teacher was rendered a laughing mess Odd wondered what would happen if his other straight-faced acquaintances inhaled the gas. He lingered on the thought for a bit for amusement's sake. Looking for a potential candidate to be the subject for his little fantasy scenario. Just by sheer chance his eyes locked onto a certain pretty-boy Korean. Now that would be quite a sight wouldn't it? Dirk Kap Hwan, laughing himself silly. Throughout the short period time Odd had known the guy he had only seen him display two sets of emotions: moody and moody with a death glare. Heck the sight of him smiling, an actual genuine smile would….

Actually he couldn't think of a funny analogy at that would suit such a unfathomable sight. Even his own overactive imagination had trouble processing the thought of little Korean mob boss with the edges of his mouth turned in an upward fashion. It was too much to dwell on it now perhaps sometime later.

"Alright enough lecturing, time for a surprise quiz"

Odd could only roll his eyes at that request. Once again he did not study for this test and he knew he was going to bomb miserably.

* * *

Two hours had passed since her daughter had left for school and the motherly figure of the Ishiyama house hold had still yet to leave the dining room. With a cup of tea in her hand, she quietly sat at the table she would normally eat at with the rest of her family and blankly stared at the much as she wants to help her children, at this moment all she can do is just wait. The only thing in her line of sight is a steady trail of steam coming from her tea. Just staring at such a peaceful sight makes Ms. Ishiyama close her eyes and reminisce about the times where her husband was a lot less argumentative.

* * *

Her memory took her to a classroom, much different than the ones in Kadic Junior High and much earlier than her children's enrollment. With a nervous gaze and Takeo by her side, the couple prepared themselves for their conference with Ms. Kingston who was Yumi and Jin's kindergarten teacher.

Getting them enrolled in this particular school was enough of an accomplishment as is seeing how they only recently moved into this country on account the job market here was thriving compared to that of their homeland.

The move over to France was anything but haphazard. Takeo called the company that was hiring him at least fifteen times to confirm his employment status along with the real estate office for their new home in the name of preventing any last minute mishaps for their move. At the same time he also made sure that the entire family underwent language training to the point where they were both fluent in French and English, the two most common languages in the land.

Quickly the two of them snapped to attention once the teacher opened the door and took her seat. She was a middle age woman with a kind face that was perfect for putting her students at ease.

"Thank you for coming today Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama," Ms. Kingston extended the same gentle attitude that she wielded while teaching outside of the classroom.

The Japanese parents both bowed their heads before they exchanged words.

"We should be thanking you for taking care of our children so well." Mrs. Ishiyama gave the teacher a radiant smile Her comments came straight from the heart as she could recall many nights where her twins would talk about how much fun they had in her class.

In contrast to the relatively calm women, Takeo was ratter jittery. In his life he'd seen many conferences, closed many deals and met many powerful people however that was just business, today he was discussing his children and that fact made him nervous beyond belief.

"Are they behaving well?" His question was hastily blurted out in an overly curt manner as to prevent himself from saying something outlandish. His wife had to giggle at his antics, slightly oafish nature was something she found endearing.

Ms. Kingston shared in on the laughter as well.

"Your fears are justified but just a bit misplaced. Rest assured, both Yumi and Jin are model students and get along with the rest of the children just fine."

"That's wonderful to hear."

"It's just that I have a small concern about one of them."

Hearing the word "concern" during a parent teacher conference was unsettling as it meant there was potential for trouble.

"It's their school work right? I had a feeling that they might not be doing their homework as well as they should…."

Again Takeo was quick to jumping to conclusions. Ms. Ishiyama silenced him with a rather firm squeeze of the hand so that she could hear what the teacher had to say.

"Forgive my husband, please continue."

Ignoring the outburst Ms. Kingston went on to address her lingering thought.

"First of all let me just say that both your children are doing excellent when it comes to their work. They finish all of their assignments on time and they always turn out quality material before they hand it to me. Please, take this next comment as just another random tangent from a teacher but please her me out.

The couple nodded, almost in unison.

"I get the feeling that one of them is more socially withdrawn than the other. During free time one sibling goes out and tries to make as many friends as possible while the other simply sits in the corner and reads. This behavior has been going on for quite a while and I think you both have a right to know about it. From what I understand, you all recently moved here from Japan and I think that may be the cause of the child's awkwardness."

All that the Ishiyamas could do was sit patiently and thank the heavens that their children well blessed with having such an attentive teacher.

* * *

Mrs. Ishiyama's focus returned that of her present state as she watched the lingering vision of her memory disappear within the steam of her tea. In the corner of her eye she noticed the pile of dishes left in the sink that needed to be cleaned. She noted that this was a mess that she would take care of later.

Slowly she raised her cup to her mouth and began to think.

* * *

"Yumi has been acting strange lately."

Those were the first words Ulrich said as he looked at her when Jeremie and Odd arrived. Not once did she come by even pretend that she was ok and let her downtrodden emotions come to the surface uninhibited.

"How long has she been acting like that?" While Odd was exactly the most attentive member of their group, he was far from being oblivious. He too was aware of Yumi's shift in behavior but he wasn't able to pinpoint an exact moment when the change happened.

"She's been sulking like that for the past two days but she never looked this down."

"You think she's mad at us?"

Jeremie quietly observed the figure ahead of him and tried to piece together the tiny pieces of information that came his way. Given the fact that all three of them were generally clueless to the cause of Yumi's sadness; then it can safely be deduced that the source of her problems was independent from all things Lyoko and the people who deal with it. Also given how in the previous day she actually made an attempt to act like her normal self, it can be inferred that whatever turmoil she's facing has now reached a new level making it even harder to hide.

"My guess that this could be something home related. Yumi did tell us in the past that her parents get into silly arguments sometimes. They could have had a serious fight."

The two roommates nodded in agreement. It was the only reasonable explanation they had and there was no good reason to dismiss it.

Ulrich solemnly shook his head. "We can try to figure out things ourselves but pretending to know the answer is not going to help Yumi right now."

"Well they say that laughter is the best medicine so I can give her some of my best jokes," Odd suggested while giving off one of his signature smiles.

The idea intrigued Ulrich for a brief moment. Surely if Yumi showed an expression that was remotely close to happiness it would surely take a huge burden from his shoulders but that feeling of relief would only be temporary. His instincts told him that this particular problem that his friend was facing would simply not go away after a rendition of "Who's on First" seeing how deeply rooted it was.

"I'm not saying you don't have a sense of humor Odd, but maybe I should try talking to her first."

The remaining two boys watched Ulrich leave their group with stunned looks. His moments of boldness when it comes to dealing with Yumi have been increasing yet their shock value has yet to diminish. Jeremie found this latest turn of events interesting to say the least.

"You really think he can really get Yumi to smile at least once?"

"I have a better chance of getting a date with Julia Roberts."

The punchline hung in the air for a few beats before Odd realized that there was something else that was bugging him that Yumi in a bad mood.

"C'on Einstein say something?"

"Wha? I have no idea what you're insinuating Odd."

"Dude I just set up a really obvious one-liner. You're supposed to build off of it and add to the joke."

"I apologize for not being able to play humorous hot potato with you."

"Jin would have done it if he was here," Odd said underneath his breath.

With that remark made, the other aspect of the day that was bothering him came to light.

"Isn't it strange that we had an entire conversation on how to help Yumi out and Jin is not here?"

Such an observation was beyond strange. Yumi was fortunate enough to be blessed with an older brother who would not hesitate to put his life on the line if it meant keeping his sister away from danger. For guy who was more than willing to die for her sake, it's starting to see that he was nowhere to be found when her happiness was on the line.

"Did you see him walk over together with Yumi?"

"No, I think she came alone this morning."

"Now that's double strange."

Another mystery was added to the case file of the Ishiyama family. Things were looking grimmer as the day passed on. Thus was looking to be a problem not easily fixed by fighting XANA's monsters and going back to the past.

* * *

Yumi remained motionless even as she heard Ulrich's footsteps draw near. Her entire thought process was split between the fear of her parents separating and trying to think of ways to get her now guilt consumed brother back to reality. Between these two monumental tasks ahead of her, then it was forgivable to ignore the more mundane trappings of everyday life.

"Hey."

His greeting was direct, just like his nature. Gone was his usual awkwardness that came with him whenever they were alone.

"Hey"

She answered back in the same simple manner. With downcast eyes she focused her gaze at the bench that was supporting her weight. It was at this spot about two months ago that she confided her most personal feelings to the boy behind her during Jin's blindness. The conversation they had back then was sweet, intimate and emotionally healing; three things she needed right now. However the problems she was thinking of extended beyond her and therefore extended past the point the point of Ulrich's helpfulness.

"I really don't feel like talking to anyone."

Even though she was in a poor mood, she had no reason to be mean to her friend. She was uninterested to whatever bit of console Ulrich had to offer so informing him of her reluctance to listen was the proper thing to do.

"But I want to, with you."

"If you feel like talking so much then talk to yourself!"

The Japanese girl left in a huff and left Ulrich alone.

"Oh Ulllllrich dear. Not every girl you know is like Yumi."

He buried his face into the palm of his right hand once he heard Sissi's voice as he was not looking forward to her lame attempts at winning his affection. Slowly turning around he faced his executioner striking a series of poses that would make any armature model cringe in distaste.

"Yeah isn't that a shame."

When it came to dealing with Sissi's overly clingy mannerisms, Ulrich's strategy was to say his piece and get out as quickly as possible. Just like Yumi showed him just seconds ago, it's impossible to have a meaningful conversation when only one person is involved

Of course this plan only works if the person he's trying to escape from remained stationary; nine times out of ten she didn't.

"Wait! Are you coming to the rehearsal afterschool?"

During the few moments when Sissi wasn't trying to worm her way into his heart, then talking to her wasn't as grating. He slowed down his walking speed, not slow enough for a stroll but slow enough for her to catch up.

"Yeah I'll show up, but let it be known that I'm going for Odd's sake and not yours."

"You know Ulrich dear…."

He felt a chill run down his spine; it looks like she's going to try to butter him up once more.

"The role of Romeo is still open."

That last comment was spoken more like a suggestion than a fact and with as much subtlety as a stampeding buffalo wearing a neon sign.

"And you want me to be Romeo don't you? Who's playing Juliet?"

"Why me of course, I'd say it's a case of perfect casting."

"More like a perfect reason why to not try out."

Shots to her ego from Ulrich was nothing new in her world and she was willing to put up with it in gradual amounts granted that no one was watching; she did have a reputation to uphold. Her eyes scanned her surroundings and she was relieved that no one was around to see her latest romantic exploit fail so miserably but at the same time she no longer had any leads to help her pursue her potential leading man.

What Sissi needed the most was a third party.

It was painfully obvious that her efforts alone would not be convincing enough to sway the boy of her dreams to her side but if one of his close friends were to suggest the idea to him then her plans just might succeed. If that was the potential solution that she was going to stick with then she had to decide which member of The Weirdo Bunch she should approach. Across the campus, on another park bench she saw a peculiar sight that being her father casually talking to Jin Ishiyama. Normally she would use the word conversation but that would only be correct if both people were communicating with each other. From her vantage point it seemed like her dad was giving him some sort of lecture or advice as the person receiving the information was simply nodding and saying one word responses. Her nosey nature prevailed and her feet began to move closer to the bench.

* * *

"Are you doing fine Jin?"

Mr. Delmas knew what significance today held for the Japanese boy and called him to this location for a brief talk. Outside of Jin's family, he was probably one of the few people in his life who knew of the pain he was going through.

Jin looked up at the cloudy sky and reluctantly nodded. Even now he was keeping everyone at a distance. It was with that sad gesture that the Kadic's principal got a good look at his expressionless eyes which were alarming hallow. There were a multitude of feelings that the man was expecting to see: anger, sadness maybe even slight joy but to see such an empty gaze chilled his bones to their core.

"I had a request from his family not to make a big deal about today's date nor the affair which happened three years ago. I think it's only fair I honor their wishes. They truly raised a remarkable student."

No reaction from the boy, him breathing from his slumped posture was the only indication that he was giving to even show that he was alive.

"I…."

He tried to say something but the words were caught up in his throat. Mr. Delmas quickly held up his hand as to show that he didn't need to struggle but Jin ignored the offer.

"Was…was he the first student you lost?"

That question forced the older man to remember another tragic incident long ago, a tragedy that he thought he would never have to think of again.

"No, he wasn't. During my second year as the principal of Kadic Junior High I remember signing the release forms for a girl who had to be moved to the hospital for an extended stay. She never did get any better."

Things grew silent after that. The subject of death was something that they were both not comfortable talking about let alone share with others. Seeing as the end of their discussion was coming to a close, he decided to leave one last word of wisdom before they parted ways.

"It's good to mourn, but don't forget the people in your life who are still alive."

Without looking back Mr. Delmas made the long trek back to his office. On the way there he greeted his daughter who walked past him.

It didn't take Sissi long to figure out that her father was discussing something tragic that happened in the boy's life. Suddenly she felt guilty for contemplating using him in her schemes. Seeing the once energetic boy be reduced to this current state compelled her to lend an ear to his problems.

"Hey Jin," She greeted hesitantly. "Check out that sky eh? They said on the news so I might rain today or something like that." The questions just stumbled out of her mouth as she didn't know why exactly she was talking to him. Was it out of genuine care or was it because she was just nosey.

"I don't think Ulrich is too interested in playing Romeo."

"Wah," such a crude response did not suit her dignified nature but she was too shocked to care about her public image.

"No. No. No," she back peddled. "I was just curious to why my dad was talking to you. If you want me to leave that's ok too."

"Thanks"

Never had Sissi seen anyone speak a single word with such sincerity in all her life. For a fleeting moment Jin lips curled to a very small smile before it morphed back to his empty gaze. She contemplated to ask him why he answered her question with a word of gratitude when a favor wasn't granted in his favor but she didn't want to ruin this precious moment.

Time passed long enough for the sun set and Jin used that as his signal that he should leave Kadic leaving Sissi alone to further ponder how could she get Ulrich involved in her play.

* * *

An electrical socket in Ms. Hertz's classroom sparked with activity and a black shadow of malice intent crept out to look for a means to dispose its enemies. In the past it sought guidance within giant schemes that involved humongous teaddybears and widespread gas leaks. Perhaps a bit of subtlety was required in order for victory to be achieved. Swifty the shadow seized control of the two tanks that were left alone where it laid dormant to plot its next move.

* * *

A medium sized silver trophy was in plain view for Mrs. Ishiyama. It was a rather modest looking award that was shaped like a cup and had two handles, a relic of her youthful days as a student in college. The trophy she was staring at was something award to her while she was taking martial arts, an activity which helped her on her path of self-discovery and romance.

Like a lot of stories of young love, the two met at college. Mrs. Ishiyama was at the gym going over her latest lessons by herself in the name of bettering herself. Living on her own, she saw how vital it was to be able to defend herself from any shady individuals who preyed on the weak.

With that resolve cemented she found herself signing up for Judo lessons after school. She wasn't too interested in competing in tournaments like her more aggressive classmates but her own abilities flourished underneath the tutelage of her instructor and she grew confident in herself. Mrs. Ishiyama's late night practice sessions became routine for her where she did everything from rehearsing her throws on a training dummy to minor conditioning. Her extra training was rudely interrupted by the boisterous yelling of a man in the adjacent room. He too was a frequent visitor of the gym late at night but trained under the school's Karate club and was quiet the capable student in his own right. His loud shouts were one of the main reasons why his mere presence annoyed her to no end. When she first began this routine she naively thought that such a detail could be overlooked; three months into the school year and her patience was now running its course. If she was to have any hope in retaining her sanity then she would have to confront this obnoxious problem head on and slam it to the floor face first.

Briskly she made her way to the other room and made her way to the other student.

"Excuse me!"

She wanted to use more polite means of getting his attention but she just could not muster enough self-restraint to do so.

"Yeah."

The Karate Student responded to the level of rudeness by being brash himself.

"Can you please keep your shouting down? You're not the only person in this building."

"Hey, aren't you the girl on the Judo team who had a match yesterday?"

"What of it?"

The brazen nature of this man was a sight to behold on its own. How dare he try to drum up a friendly conversation in this time and place! This person was loud, insensitive and…Kinda cute.

"_No! Bad Brain!_"

She thought to herself, luckily she caught herself in time before the blush on her face got any redder.

"I'll tell you what Ms. Judo. I've been meaning to test my skills on a grappler. You manage to take me down once and I promise you that I'll never train here afterhours when you're around."

Such an offer could not be refused. Although she was no superstar, she was also far from being a rookie who didn't know a wristlock from a wristwatch. Mr. Karate Kid over there was a great fighter and all but he was no invincible warrior.

"Challenge accepted."

Their match ended in five minutes with both combatants completely exhausted. The Judo practitioner managed to triumph over the Karate Kid as she pinned him to the floor with both of her hands still holding onto his gi and their faces just inches away from each other. The fight was an exhilarating one that caused her heart to beat rapidly but another emotion helped this response as well."Happy?"

Even after losing so quickly the brash student refused to humble himself.

"Why was I able to beat you so easily? I thought you would be a lot stronger than this."

"You want to know the real reason why I lost?"

She only had enough strength left to nod.

"I like you."

"You…"

That was all she could say as her opponent gently placed his index finger on her lips to quiet her.

"I don't know exactly when but seeing you here train everyday motivated me to become stronger as well. I grew to admire your determination and persona drive and secretly wished that I had those qualities myself. Being with you like this is like a dream come true. Thank you."

"I see."

Her cheeks turned bright red and all she could do was turn away to avoid feeling anymore embarrassed.

"With that said, are you still going to throw me out?"

Time passed by slowly for the two before another word was spoken. With an averted gaze and her bangs covering her eyes she spoke.

"Maybe."

Flash forward to another time when the couple was in a blissful state. Happily married and settled into their new home and after their conference with their children's teacher. This would mark the second time Takeo would bring up the subject of martial arts once again.

"Apparently Master Fong is opening up a martial arts school nearby and I think it would be a great idea for us to enroll Yumi and Jin since one of them has confidence issues."

Mrs. Ishiyama pondered the idea for a moment, it had been a long time since she stepped foot inside a dojo and challenged someone to a match but feelings she experienced during that brief moment were some of her most cherished memories. Steadily she snaked her hand so that it intertwined with her husband's.

"I think it would be great."

The two smiled and the memory ended.

* * *

It was almost dinnertime at the Ishiyama household but the joyous feeling that usually came with the anticipation of a well cooked meal was nonexistent. Silently the motherly figure stood in the kitchen and began to prepare the food while her daughter and son rested in their rooms. She made her way to the rice dispenser when she heard the sound of footsteps walking past her and toward the door. Like any mother worth their salt she questioned the fleeing figure.

"Will you be back before I finish making dinner?"

"I won't."

It was Jin who called back to her. His reply though brief carried a lifeless air to it as she could imagine the downtrodden expression on his face.

"Mom, I need to go somewhere important."

On any other day she would do her best to prevent him from leaving the house at such a later hour but today was anything but ordinary. The path her son was walking down was filled with the misery of past regret. She knew that he was going to leave regardless of her words so the best she could do is offer him some old advice.

"Jin, have you ever heard of the tale of the Man of Song?"

The question reached his ears right when his hands gripped the doorknob.

"No I haven't."

"It was a story I read while I was in college and I think you should hear it."

Without missing a beat she stirred the noodles she was cooking and began to recite the Chinese fable.

"Once upon a time, there was a farmer who saw a rabbit run into a tree stump while he plowed his field. Not wanting to have another rabbit die the farmer put his plow down and sat on the stump to guard it."

"I see."

Jin didn't need to have the story's underlying meaning openly explained to him. Its message pierced his heart and rendered him motionless, preventing him to take another step.

"The Man of Song was a great fool. Please don't be like him."

He didn't have the heart to answer back as the appointment he had was too important to be differed. Calmly Jin walked out of the door and toward the nearby bus stop. On his way out he saw Ulrich going the opposite direction.

"Sup?" Jin greeted.

The other boy was preoccupied with his own personal agenda regarding his task to make Yumi smile and almost ignored Jin's words.

"Oh" he stammered. "Are you heading back to Kadic?"

"Kinda," Jin said while smiling. "Just going out."

With a simple hand wave Jin continued his walk while Ulrich made his way to the Ishiyama's front door. Flower in hand; his fingers trembled against the wooden surface as doubt entered his mind. It had suddenly dawned on him that this would be the first time he ever paid a visit to Yumi's house. It was always something on his to-do list and he even got a few invites from as well but it was something he would put off later as he feared the repercussions.

"Oh please, don't do anything stupid Ulrich," he muttered under his breath. Once he knocks on the door in front of him, he will pass the point of no return so making a good first impression was going to be critical.

Three soft knocks were made and shortly after a gleeful voice from inside the house was heard.

"Oh it you darling! I said to myself that I knew that we couldn't stay angry at…"

The door opened causing the rest of the sentence to trail off and an awkward silence to come in its place.

"Oh sorry…ummm," the woman searched her memory for a name and seemed to remember meeting him before at school a while back. "Ulrich, right?"

A rocky start for their first real face-to-face encounter but he wasn't going to let this moment deter him from helping out his friend.

"Good evening Mam, is Yumi home. I'd really want to speak to her." Ulrich made no effort to hide the flower in his hand where it was quiet obvious to think of who would be receiving it. The entire gesture brought a smile to Mrs. Ishiyama's tired face: picking flowers, asking politely to see her daughter, she could easily tell that Ulrich was a kind boy.

"Please, come inside. Yumi is in her room upstairs so you can see her there."

Hesitantly, Ulrich climbed the staircase not knowing what kind of emotional state the Japanese girl will be in when he finally confronts her. The hardest part of his mission had already passed, now all that was left was to give Yumi the flower and the rest he will play by ear.

"Hey Yumi."

Ulrich held his breath and braced himself for whatever came his way.

* * *

It's raining.

That was the only thing Jin could think of as he rode the bus to his destination. Not too many people took the route he was currently on; combine that with the reports of potential bad weather meant that he was alone for this trip.

There was something oddly romantic about gloomy weather that always captivated Jin's imagination. When he was a child he would always stare listlessly through the window during rainy days or casually watch a withering tree during the fall. The small pitter-patter of rain drops that struck the concrete to pool at the surface was a sight that could captivate him for hours on end. The other kids growing up with him, his sister included, would make fun of him for liking the sight of raindrops and dead leaves so much but he didn't care. This was something that captured his imagination and was something fun to watch. However, it was three years ago where he truly learned about the true beauty that the rain carried.

It was the day that he met Ghai Tao Ren. The day his life changed forever.

Slowly his eyelids got heavier with each passing second. With thirty minutes still left in his trip, Jin allowed himself to succumb to his sleepiness.

------------

Like all of his problems that arose on this day, his dream began with an argument.

"What do you mean I have to take him?!"

The scene was from four years ago when he was eleven years ago. That voice belonged to his sister pleading with their mother on the first day of school at Kadic.

"Now Yumi, you know full well that your older brother should be with you whenever you go out."

"But Ashley didn't invite Jin to her party after school! She doesn't even know him!"

Yumi was a different person when she was eleven years old. Back then she was a lot more outspoken, social and a bit bratty at times; compared to her more serious self now she seemed like a whole different person.

"We both know that's not true Yumi. Isn't she in the same martial arts class as the two of you?"

Despite her daughter's small tantrum, Mrs. Ishiyama could only smile as she tried to solve this conflict. Common fights like this were a regular occurrence between her two children. It was a fact of motherhood that she welcomed with arms wide open.

"Mooooom! This is no fair!"

"Are you afraid that your older brother would embarrass you?"

"No I'm not, because Jin doesn't do anything. He's the ultimate wallflower! He'll only make everyone there feel sorry for him!"

Jin sunk his head deeper and concentrated on eating breakfast. Like his sister, he too was a different person back then. Ever since his arrival at their new home, he had always been fearful of his new surroundings. He didn't know exactly why, but in the back of his mind lingered a thought that distrusted this new place which prevented him from getting used to his home where he felt more like an unwelcomed tourist than a certified resident.

Outside of his family, Jin had practically no friends compared to his sister who was a social butterfly. He was afraid of connecting with others on a personal level, they were part of the unfamiliar territory he settled in and therefore can't be trusted.

"That's enough!"

Mrs. Ishiyama's smile disappeared for she could not put up with her daughter's malice comments. By instinct Yumi's urge to complain vanished.

"Please honey," the scolding tone of her voice was gone as she didn't want to yell at her child anymore. "You're the only friend your brother has so please help us take care of him."

"Okay, I think Ashley will let him come if I ask." Yumi said reluctantly.

"One more thing Yumi, can you please stop calling your brother by just his name. He's older than you and should get the respect he deserves."

"Yeah by only three minutes and twenty-two seconds."

That request didn't sit too well with Yumi. Sure Jin was indeed "older" but he made no effort to act like an older brother to her. He was meek and soft-spoken, hardly the type of person who you can count on when you're in a pinch. To call him Nii-san would undermine all of the times in the past that she saved him from teasing classmates and bullies.

"Umm…"

Jin's voice was barely audible as he felt rather uncomfortable butting into the conversation in such a manner.

"It's…fine."

Unable to deal with looking at his sister directly, Jin shifted his gaze toward the floor and nervously tapped his fingers against themselves. The whole thing made him look more like a defenseless animal or a lost puppy.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Mrs. Ishiyama asked him in a soothing voice. Her son carried with him a reclusive nature and emotional fragility that not too many boys his age had. She was willing to give up the world in order for him to develop the same amount of confidence and self assurance that Yumi had.

"I mean, it can be fun." For a brief while a cheerful glint danced off of Jin's eyes before he shook it off and resumed his usual sullen expression. "I'd just make everyone feel weird."

That cheerful glint was noticed by Yumi as well. While it was true that Ashley and Jin were not exactly friends, it wasn't like the two were outright hostile toward each other. They did have a few matches together and during the rare instances those two talked it wasn't a bad experience for either of them. Of course their conversations were not exactly the most memorable moments of their lives but the most important thing to remember was that they weren't _bad_.

"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Jin came."

"Yumi! Show your older brother some respect!" Her mom bellowed out.

"It's okay."

To be honest the thought of being called such a former title from his younger sister did sit well with Jin either. He knew that he didn't deserve that much respect on account older brothers should protect their younger siblings but the reverse held true.

"It's not ok Jin. Like it or not you were born before your sister, being her older brother is not something you can just flat out ignore."

"Maybe sis can call me something else. How about Aniki…it means the same right?"

Yumi's eyes went wide. "Jin, do you have any idea what you're suggesting?!"

While Aniki was a word used out of respect for an older brother, the context in which it was used was completely different.

"I know Yumi, it's mainly used be delinquents and gang members as a way to address their bosses. That's why I suggested it."

"Did you hit your head on the way home today?!"

"Well, it's just that you don't see me much as an older brother but mom insists you call me something else other than my name. Since I'm not really a gang boss you can say this is our little joke."

There was nothing funny at Jin's attempt at humor but to Yumi Ishiyama the notion that her brother was event trying to crack some sort of witticism was so out of character that the one-liner was able to garner a positive reaction from shock value alone. Still smiling heavily, she walked acrossed the room and hugged Jin.

"Ok 'Aniki' let's think of a way we can get Ashely a good present."

* * *

"FINAL STOP!"

The bus driver's booming voice woke Jin from his dream and he gathered his possessions from his seat one of those items being a set of flowers left on his doorstep this afternoon. The rain poured hard well into the afternoon and the sky was covered in gray clouds, a detail Jin didn't really care for. As the bus came to a complete stop, Jin placed his headphones over his ears, placed his hood over his head and walked outside into the storm.

He paid little attention to the raindrops that were soaking his clothes for all that matter now was the appointment he had to keep. With each sloshing footstep he drew closer to the large black gate that guarded the area where he was supposed to be. With a small push the rusty gate opened and he stepped onto the grounds with a sad smile on his face. Looking up Jin gazed at all the small stone monuments and simple crosses that line the Earth and was content that he was at the right place.

A sign that read Sacred Heart Cemetery confirmed this.

"Hey Ghai, I'm back."

END PART 1

**Words from the Author**

How's that for an obvious ending. I'm sorry for lack of updates but I realized that this chapter was going to be super long on account that I'm explain the backstory of the Ishiyama family as well as the general XANA plot of the episode. I really have no excuse for my lack of updates but I thought that I should give you this chapter to keep your appetites moist. I also apologize for the insane amount of drama in this chapter but given the tragic nature of the characters and the general plot, that was something that I couldn't avoid.

Thanks for reading.


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